Forgotten Fairytales
by wolfyangel123
Summary: I used to belive in fairytales, but that all ended when my parents died that night.
1. New Students

Don't own GA.** Warning: This story contains abuse and foul language. If you don't like it then please don't read. Also some characters are a bit OOC.**

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_Na na  
__Na na na na na  
I miss you  
Miss you so bad  
I don't forget you  
Oh it's so sad._

_I hope you can hear me  
I remember it clearly._

_[Chorus]  
The day you slipped away...  
Was the day i found  
It, won't be the same  
__Oh_

_Na na  
Na na na na na_

_I didn't get around to kiss yo  
uGoodbye on the hand  
I wish that I could see you again  
I know that I can't ooooooooooooh  
I hope you can hear me  
Cause I remember it clearly_

_[Chorus]  
The day you slipped away...  
Was the day i found  
It, won't be the same  
Oh_

_I've had my wake up  
Won't you wake up  
I keep asking I can't take it  
It wasn't fake itI  
t happened you passed by_

_Now you're gone  
Now you're gone  
There you go  
There you go  
Somewhere I can't bring you back  
Now you're gone  
Now you're gone  
There you go  
There you go  
Somewhere you're not coming back_

_[__Chorus]X2  
__Na na  
__Na na na na na_

_I miss you..._

Chapter 1: New Students

I woke up to the blaring of my music. I quickly pulled my head phones out and put my ipod on pause. I looked down at the song and smirked to see which song woke me up. It was my favorite song, Slipped Away by Avril Lavigne. This song never lets me forget what I lost.

A screech stopped me from going down memory lane. "Mikan! Get your lazy ass down here right now!" I sighed as I looked around my 'room'. It consisted of a broken dresser, a door that lead into a bathroom, a few blankets and clean clothes in the corner, and a broken mattress that goes into a V-shape when you sit on it.

I quickly got dressed in my usual attire which is a baggy long sleeved shirt, black baggy pants, and comfortable worn out, black sneakers. I ran down the stairs as fast as I could and was greeted with a punch to the gut. I fell backwards as the wind was knocked out of me, then I was slapped hard across the face.

I didn't scream nor did I whimper. I just looked up at my attacker to see Kokari seething at me. She flipped her fiery red hair behind her shoulders with her finely manicured fingers as she glared at me with her cold coal black eyes. "Your late!" she yelled. "Go make breakfast then get out of my house!" She stormed away after she said that.

I got up off the floor and brushed the dirt off my clothes. I winced as I lightly touched my cheek. I just sighed as I walked into the kitchen. I saw Daisuki sitting in a wooden oak chair at the long wooden oak table, drinking his coffee while reading the newspaper. He just ignored me as I walked by, but at the last second he stuck his foot out making me trip. "Get off the floor, you piece of trash." he said harshly. I pushed myself up and headed towards the stove. I turned it on and proceeded to make eggs, bacon, and toast. I served them their breakfast when it was finished. When I was done, I grabbed my bag and walked out the door, heading to my one sanctuary: my friend's house.

I got to her door and started ringing the door bell like crazy just to annoy her. She yanked open the door and glared hard at me. I smiled a cheerful smile, trying not to wince from my cheek. She saw the bruise forming on my cheek and her glare softened a bit. "Hotaru!" I said. She just grabbed my arm, making me wince as she dragged me to her purple Porsche. I got into the passenger side with out a word. When she got in, she turned to me with make-up in her hands. How she got it I don't know, but I know not to question her for fear of the Baka gun.

She started to apply it to my cheek then under my eyes to where dark circles lay. Now my face is caked in make-up to hide my bruises. " I feel like a sl-" I started to say until I got hit with the Baka gun. "Language Mikan." Hotaru said while blowing the steam off the top of the gun. Deciding to change the subject I said, "How's Ruka?"

"He's fine. Him and his friend are moving down here and attending our school." she replied. Ruka is Hotaru's 1 year boyfriend. They met two and a half years ago at a café. They bumped into each other causing Ruka to spill his coffee on her. Since then Hotaru used his pictures as a way to get money or blackmail. Ruka lived in France before coming to this school. He is part Japanese and part French. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. Hotaru showed me a picture of him and I must say he looks good as little bow-peep.

"I bet Ruka moved here just for you, Hotaru." I said with a sly smirk as I saw a faint pink tint on her cheeks. She glared at me and said "Shut up."

We pulled into the school parking lot and got out. Everyone ignored us as we walked by. Oh yeah, did I mention everyone hates us? I didn't, well now you know. I'm the 'emo freak' and Hotaru is the 'Ice queen'. Since our school is mainly preps and rich people they look down on people who they don't like. Mainly us.

I only have two friends in this school. Hotaru, as you know, is my best friend since childhood. Her family is mainly made up of geniuses. Hotaru is the inventor of the family. Her father is really good with money and he owns the Imai bank. Her brother, Subaru-nii, is Japan's best doctor, and their mother is a simple house wife. Their family is the only one that knows about my abuse, but I made them swear to never tell a soul until I'm 18 and out of the house.

The only other person who knows is my best friend, Persona. He is 18 and a senior. He found out by complete accident. He walked out the back of the school and saw me bandaging my arm. He looks familiar to me but I can't remember why. Well anyway he and Subaru act like older brothers to me.

We walked into the classroom 2-B and headed towards the back of the room. It was where we normally sat with two chairs besides us. We sat down and Hotaru immediately pulled out an invention that looked like a horses hoof. I just folded my arms on the table and rested my head on them, trying to sleep. I didn't get a good nights sleep last night so this is compensation.

I heard our homeroom teacher, Mr. Narumi, come skipping in, but I fell asleep after he sad something about new students.

**NPOV**

Me and Ruka were listening to this gay teacher go on and on about how much we are going to like it here at Gakuen Alice High. Personally I don't care. I only came here because Ruka wanted to be closer to his girlfriend. We finally stopped in front of a class room that read 2-B. The gay said to wait here until he tells us to come in. We heard him babbling away in there about who knows what.

Finally he told us to come into the room. Ruka went first then I followed. I could see the girls forming hearts in their eyes while the boys swam with jealousy.

The gay told us to introduce ourselves. "I'm Ruka Nogi." Ruka said with a smile. I just glared at everyone while saying, "Natsume Hyuuga." The gay got a creepy smile on his face as he said, "Ruka your partner is going to be Hotaru Imai and Natsume's is going to be Mikan-chan. You will sit by them in the back."

We could hear the complaining of the girls as we walked towards the back. Ruka sat down next to his girlfriend while I sat down next to a girl who is sleeping. Oh great, when she wakes up she'll be all over me.

She slept all through first block with the gay and now we are in math class with Mr. Jinno who has a frog on his shoulder. Frog man is his new name.

He was pointing at a problem that read: 4d+7≤23 when he spotted the girl next to me who was still sleeping. "Miss Sakura." she didn't hear him. "Miss Sakura!" she is a heavy sleeper if she can sleep through his voice. Frog man started to get red in the face as he yelled, "MISS SAKURA!"

She woke with a start as her chocolate eyes looked around blearily.

**MPOV**

I heard someone call my name, then a loud voice yelled "MISS SAKURA!"

I awoke with a start as I tried to focus my vision. It was a bit blurry at first but then I saw Jin-Jin down at the front resembling a tomato. "Mikan Sakura! Since you decided to sleep in my class while I'm teaching, I want you to do this problem." he boomed.

He turned to the board and started to write: 5c+4(c-1) ≥ 2 + 5(2+c). It wasn't that difficult to figure out. I got up and walked down the isle hearing snickers, giggles, and "dumb emo." Well this 'dumb emo' will show you! I walked up to the board, stared at the problem for 5 seconds and wrote c≥ 4. I put the chalk down and smirked to myself. Jin-Jin looked stunned as I walked back to my seat. I sat down and looked toward the window on my left and saw a boy with raven hair and crimson eyes staring at me. "Who are you?" I asked, looking at him skeptically. "Baka Mikan. He is your partner, Natsume Hyuuga." Hotaru said to my right. "Oh." was all I said before I laid my head down in my arms and fell asleep.

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	2. I'm not happy

Don't own GA.** Warning: This story contains abuse and foul language. If you don't like it then please don't read. Also some characters are a bit OOC.**

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Chapter 2: I'm not happy

I woke up to the lunch bell ringing in my ears. I rubbed my eyes to see that I was practically alone in the room with the exception of Hotaru. We got up and headed towards the lunch room. "Mikan, Hotaru." said a voice behind us. We turned around to see a guy with down, slightly spiky hair and dark brown eyes like me. I smiled a huge smile and ran to hug him. "Persona!" I said while clinging to him like a koala bear. "Why hello to you to Mikan." he said. I got off of him and jumped on his back. I wrapped my legs around his waist to stay on his back. "I'm still sleepy so can you give me a piggy back ride?" I asked laying my head on his shoulder. "Sure." he said while putting his hands under my knees to keep me up.

"You didn't sleep well last night did you?" he asked as we walked down the hall to the cafeteria. I sighed, "No. The nightmares kept me up last night." They both looked at me worriedly when I said that. I giggled, "Don't worry so much guys." They turned back around and continued to walk. We reached the lunch room and got in line with me still on Persona's back. "Mikan don't you want to get down so you can get lunch?" he questioned me. "No, I don't have any money to buy lunch anyway." I shrugged. Hotaru stared at me then said, "When was the last time you ate?" "Monday." I replied. Today is Friday so that makes it five days that I didn't eat. "Get extra Persona." she said as we chose our food. I just tightened my legs around his waist as he let go of my legs to carry the tray. We got 2 slices of supreme pizza and 2 water bottles. Hotaru got a tray full of crab roe which made me sick just looking at it.

The lunch ladies were looking at us strangely as we passed by them. We went to the cash register to pay then headed out to our favorite spot. The Sakura tree.

My head was down on Persona's shoulder in a light sleep as we went to the Sakura tree. I heard the faint squealing of girls in the distance, but I ignored it. As we got closer the noise became louder. I lifted my head when we were 10 feet away. I saw girls surrounding the tree, looking up in it. I don't know what their squealing about up in that tree, but they are not allowed at our tree without asking. I stuck my hand out towards Hotaru. "Give me the Baka gun." I said angrily.

I had no sleep, I haven't eaten in five day, and I got slapped around this morning. I am not happy right now. Hotaru silently handed me the gun and I aimed it at the ground. I shot twice as warning shots. Startled, they looked at the ground where smoke came out of two holes in the ground. They looked up expecting to see Hotaru holding the gun, but were surprised to see me.

"Back. Away. From. The. Tree." I said angrily as I glared at them. They glared right back at me. A brave one spoke up. "Why should we?" I glared harder making them flinch, "Because I'm on the back of a 6'3 man, have a gun, and I'm not in the mood." I answered with venom dripping from my voice, making them frightened. They ran away, afraid of what I'll do to them.

I handed Hotaru back her Baka gun and Persona walked us towards the tree. I got off his back and sat down. The leaves rustled above me and two boys jumped down in front of us. It was Natsume and- "Hey! So your Ruka! You look good as little bow-peep, you know." I giggled as he blushed a deep crimson. "I'm Mikan and this is Persona. I'm guessing you're the cause of the girls at our tree huh?" I said. "I'm sorry. Natsume and I were going to lunch when we got chased by fan-girls." Ruka said sitting down. Persona sat down to my right with the tray in his lap and Hotaru sat down to my left with her crab roe.

"Here now eat." Persona handed me a slice of pizza and a water bottle. I unscrewed the cap and drank the water, then I ate my pizza. "You know, I have to warn you about some of the girls around here if you like the faithful type." I said to Ruka and Natsume. "But knowing Hotaru, you don't have to worry about anything Ruka." I smiled at him as I said that. "You, on the other hand, are a different story." I looked at Natsume. "The one person you do not want to date is Luna Koizumi. She cheats on every guy here and you probably just became her number one target to bed. She wears too much make-up anyway." My face screwed up in disgust just thinking about her and her boy toys.

Natsume lifted his eyebrow at me. "Like your one to talk." he snorted. Hotaru shot him with the Baka gun while I rolled my eyes. Persona gave him his death glare.

Persona got up and kneeled in front of me. "Get on. I'll drop you off at your class. You can get more sleep." I hopped on his back and we took off to the classroom.

I had my head resting on his shoulder as we walked the silent halls. "Mikan are you ok?" he asked. I opened my eyes to see his worried face. "I'm fine, Persona." he nodded his head. "You, me, and Hotaru can go to the mall tomorrow. How does that sound?" he questioned. That sounded wonderful, but I don't know how I was going to get there or the fact of if _they_ will let me go. "It sounds good to me , but I don't know how I'll be able to go."

He stayed silent after that. The rest of the day went by in a blur with me half paying attention. Hotaru drove me to her house and I walked home. No car was in the drive way when I got home so I opened the front door with my keys. I looked at the clock that hung on the wall. 4:00 p.m. it read. One hour till they get home.

I set about making dinner. Steak, mash potatoes with gravy, and mixed vegetables. I put the veggies in the steamer and set it for 45 minutes so it can thaw out and cook. I washed the steaks off, set it on the oven, and I set the timer on for 50 minutes. I pulled out 2 potatoes for later.

I went to the table and started my homework. I was almost done when the timer for the steamer went off. I got up to turn the steamer off then I poked holes in the potatoes. Don't worry I washed them. I put them in the microwave for 8-9 minutes. The oven dinged when I finished the potatoes, signaling that the steak was done. I pulled the plates down and put them on the table, setting down silverware besides the plates. I got the steaks out and put one on each plate. I dished the veggies on the plate next to the steaks. I pulled out the potatoes and cut each one open.

I put butter, salt, and pepper on them and used a fork to mash them. I got the gravy bowl from the fridge and heated that up. As soon as I set the bowl down I heard the front door click open. I ran to greet them at the door. "Welcome home m'am, sir." I bowed my head waiting for the slap. They did not fail me. Kokari slapped me across the cheek, sinking her nails into the skin. Daisuki just walked past me and into the kitchen, silently telling me I was going to get worse from him later.

They ate their dinner silently while I was in the corner with my head down. Then they both got up and Daisuki grabbed my upper arm in a bruising grip. He dragged me over to the living room. He through me on the floor and walked away down the hall. Kokari started kicking me all over my body. I was sore all over this morning so it was going to be horrible when I wake up tomorrow.

I was starting to lose consciousness and I could feel the blood running down my arms from the cuts that her heeled pumps made. She suddenly stopped and I thought today's beating was done, but I was wrong. I saw Daisuki walk in with a steel baseball bat. He hit my leg hard and I heard a sickening crack. My eyes widened at the pain shooting through my leg, but before I could make a noise I blacked out.

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	3. The mall and Youichi

**Sorry it was a bit late. i wrote 11 chapters and have 8 more to type. School work is also a problem but bear with me hear.**

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Chapter 3: The mall and Youichi

I woke up only to see black. I turned my head, but that small movement sent me in a world of pain and I almost blacked out again. I ignored the pain and managed to sit up. I looked at the wall clock and read: 9:06. I got up off the floor while my body protested against any movements. When I stood up pain shot through my left leg. I bit my lip to keep me from screaming. I knew I wouldn't make it up the stairs.

I headed out the door planning to go to Hotaru's house.

Luckily for me Kokari and Daisuke were out.

I finally got to Hotaru's house and I was almost in tears form the sheer pain coming from my body. Thankfully no one saw me on my way here. I was breathing heavily as I banged on her door. Hotaru's house along with Persona's house are both mansions. They both live on the same street and as ironic as it would be the street is called Rich avenue. The street is seriously called that. I live 30 minutes away on Birchwood road.

The door finally opened, only to reveal a very mad Subaru. Probably mad that I woke him up early on his day off.

I smiled weakly in his direction as I started to lean on the door frame. "Hey Subaru-nii. Do you think you could let Hotaru know that I'm here?" I said.

His eyes widen as he took in my appearance and state of my body. He very carefully picked me up and gently put me on the sofa.

He lifted up my shirt to show my black and blue stomach. I rolled up my sleeves to show my completely black arms. Subaru took one look at my left leg and said it was broken. Hey, he isn't Japan's best doctor for nothing.

"Do you have tape for my leg so they don't get mad that I went to someone for a cast." I asked.

He nodded with a heavy sigh as he got up to get the tape. Hotaru came down just as the door opened. Persona walked through the door with a black beetles shirt, black pants, and of course black shoes.

Hotaru gave me a black longed sleeved shirt with red lettering, saying 'Don't touch. I bite.', baggy black pants, and black sneakers.

They both worriedly looked at me. "How bad?" Persona whispered as his eyes roamed my body, as if he stared long enough at each bruise or break they would disappear from my body like they were never there.

Before I could answer him, Subaru came down saying, "She has 2 broken ribs, 3 bruised ribs, some of her other bones are also bruised, mainly on her arms, severe bruising on her body, cuts are littering her body, and a broken leg. If you are planning to go somewhere I suggest you put a lot of make-up on Mikan's face." She nodded her head as a way to say yes.

After 15 minutes of fixing me up Subaru went backup stairs.

"Thanks Hotaru for the clothes." I said as I started to get up. She glared at me hard, "Sit. Your. Ass. Down." she said slowly with a dangerous glint in her cold, amethyst eyes. I flinched under her hard glare and immediately sat back down. Hotaru very rarely cusses and when she does that means she is very pissed off. She turned her glare on Persona.

"Turn around." He quickly turned and went into the kitchen.

"I want glazed filled donuts!" I yelled after him. "Got it!" he yelled back to me.

Hotaru started to change my clothes as Persona got my donuts. In 15 minutes I was dressed, fed, and ready to go. "Alright, lets go to the mall." I smiled as I made to get up again. They both glared at me and I quickly sat back down. "No." they simultaneously said. I was confused at first as to why they said no until it dawned on me that they didn't want me to go was because I was hurt.

I pulled out my secret weapon that gets me anything I want: the puppy dog pout. "Pwease, can we go? If you really don't like the idea of me walking then maybe Persona can carry me on his back?"

I could see their resolve crumbling under my weapon until they both gave in with a sigh.

Persona lifted me up and carried me out to his black Mercedes Benz. He put me in the back seat of his car, then went up to the drivers side. Hotaru got in on the other side of me and started to apply cover up on my face.

The drive to the mall was quiet and when we finally got to the mall Persona parked, got out, and slung me onto his back like I was a sack of potatoes. I was so embarrassed as we walked in. I mean who wouldn't be embarrassed being carried around on the back of a six foot three man. Luckily I just barely stopped myself from blushing. Barely.

"Persona, aren't I heavy?" I asked. "No." was his simple reply.

We walked to our favorite store in the mall. Hot Topic. "Kyle! Kevin!" I yelled, making a few heads turn our direction. I saw two men lift their heads up from being called.

They both grinned face splitting smiles once they saw us. "Hey Mi-chan." they said. Kyle and Kevin are 19 years old twins.

Kyle has black hair with lavender dyed tips. His bangs swoop over his left eye and he has a piercing on his right eyebrow. He is wearing lavender and black stripped fingerless gloves, a black shirt with Jack Skeleton on it, and black cargo pants with chains and purple strips. Kyle's eyes were a lavender color.

Kevin has black hair too but with electric blue tips and his hair swoops over his right eye. He has a piercing on his left eyebrow. He has on black and electric blue fingerless gloves on. His shirt was black with cookie monster on it with a cookie jar sitting in front of him. His pants were washed out blue skinny jeans and his eyes were electric blue.

They walked up to me and gave me a hug. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, they gave me the world's most difficult hug because I was still on Persona's back.

"What are you doing here?" they asked. "Just here to say hi." I replied. "Well its nice to see you too Mi-chan, Hota-chan, and Sona-chii." I giggled as Persona death glared at them.

"What did I say about calling me that?" They both grinned like idiots. "Not to." they replied. He just continued to glare at them.

They ignored him as they looked at me. "Mi-chan if you ever need anything ask us and well get you anything in the store." They spread their arms out to emphasize. They were still grinning like idiots and it was contagious because I started grinning like them too.

We walked around the store a bit, then we walked around the mall. Thankfully we didn't see anyone we knew. We walked into GameStop because Persona wanted to buy Call of Duty: Black Ops.

The people inside were giving us weird looks so in return we glared at them. Persona found the game he was looking for. I was holding the game as we stepped in line. As we were waiting Persona said "Mikan, can you get my wallet in my back pocket."

I nodded my head as I reached for his back pocket. I heard a small clicking noise to my right, but I ignore it. I saw parents having disapproving looks on their faces as I dug around in his back pocket. I pulled it out and gave the man the money for the game.

As we were walking out we ran into someone. I looked over and saw crimson orbs boring into my brown ones. "Oi, Polka-a-dots, why are you on that guys back?" asked Natsume.

I saw Hotaru holding hands with Ruka as they watched the three of us. Natsume and Persona were having a glaring contest.

I broke it with saying, " 'Cause I won a bet." The lie slipped easily off my tongue. The only thing I got out of him was a 'Hn'. Ruka decided to step in before the two started glaring again. "Hey why don't we all get something to eat."

We all agreed to that and went to the café area.

We sat down or more like they sat down as I was place in a chair between Natsume and Persona. Hotaru sat across from me as Ruka sat beside Natsume.

We got up to get our food. Hotaru was death glaring at me as I got up. I just averted my eyes to Ruka and Natsume then back to her, hoping she got the message. She just walked away to Long John Silvers.

I was in the mood for Chinese so I went to Bamboo Express. Natsume was going to Subway with Ruka and Persona was going to Taco Bell. Unfortunately those stand were on either side of Bamboo Express.

My body was sore and I could feel some of my cuts opening. I ordered teriyaki chicken, orange chicken, and veggie noodles. I picked up the tray as my muscles protested the action. I took a deep breath as I made my way back to the table limping a bit.

I finally got back to the table and my body was throbbing from walking that short distance that felt like a mile.

Hotaru and Persona looked worried by were doing a good job at hiding it. Natsume and Ruka looked a bit confused. I just sighed and ate my food.

When everyone was finished, Persona slung me on his back again. My eye lids were feeling like lead as they closed shut and soon I was asleep.

I woke up to a gentle humming underneath me. I notice I was in the car as we pulled up to Hotaru's house. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as we got out of the car. "What time is it?" I yawned. Hotaru was walking back to her house as she answered, "2".

I nodded my head, still a bit sleepy. "Bye, Bye. See you guys at school."

I was half way home when I noticed a little boy with silver hair standing by a stop sign that looked no older than 5.

I walked up to him and he looked up at me. "Why are you here, little boy?" I questioned him. He looked back at the road. "I'm waiting for my mommy."

I nodded my head and, with difficulty, sat down next to him. "I'll wait with you. I'm Mikan." I smiled at him. He nodded and sat down with me. "Youichi."

We sat in silence for awhile, just looking at the road. I broke it by saying, "What does your mommy look like?" He shrugged. "I don't know. I was told I was left here when I was an infant." I looked at him. "So you're an orphan." He nodded.

I felt so bad for him. I mean, here is this little boy, no older than 5, waiting for his mom when she abandoned him when he was a baby. "I don't want any pity." He said. I nodded in understanding. I didn't tell anyone about my 'problem' because I didn't want any pity either.

"How long have you been waiting here?" I looked out at the street again as a car passed by. "2 years. I'm five by the way." he answered, never looking my way. My eyes widened a bit at this. 2 years. Wow was this kid devoted.

Looked at him then, really looked at him. His shirt was a plain white t that looked a bit too big on him and baggy tan pants that were also a bit too big. He had beautiful teal eyes on a stoic face. He reminded me of Natsume in a way.

"Youichi, if you've been waiting for two years and she never picked you up from the orphanage, then she isn't worth the wait." I softly said to him as he looked me straight in the eyes.

His eyes started to swell up with tears. I pulled him in my lap, ignoring the pain because Youichi needed me right now. I buried my head into his hair as I whispered to him, "It's okay to cry."

His body shook with silent sobs as tear soaked his cheeks and my shirt. I rubbed his back in a soothing manner as I whispered comforting words to him. He cried for 10 minutes.

I got up with him in my arms. "You can spend the night at my house." I told him as we made our way down the street. I was mentally slapping myself. Where was he going to sleep? What would he say or do if he saw me getting beat to a bloody pulp?

I just closed my eyes and prayed to god that this will go well. He nodded as he snuggled into my arms for the warmth they provided.

Youichi was really cute. I made a promise right then and there, that no matter what I will protect him from any harm.

I held him closer to myself as he drifted away to his world of dreams.

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	4. Discoveries of the past

**Sorry I have not updated for a while. I've been really busy with school work. I hope you enjoy this story as much as i enjoy writting it.**

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Chapter 4: Discoveries of the past 

We reached my house and Youichi was still. I walked up to the front of the house, noticing their cars weren't in the drive way. I let a relieved breathe go as I headed for the door.

I moved a lose brick alongside the door to grab the house key. I opened the door slowly, trying not to make any noise. I quickly but quietly ran up the steps to the guest bedroom.

After I laid Youichi down on the bed I headed back down stairs. I searched around the house looking for any signs of life besides us. When I entered the kitchen I saw a note taped to the fridge.

_You piece of trash, we went to Hokkaido for the hot springs. Won't be back till next week._

A wave of relief washed over me as I read the note. Suddenly I felt giddiness rush through me. NO BEATINGS FOR A WEEK! I could dance right now regardless of a broken leg.

I limped as fast as I could to the phone. I punched in Hotaru's number as fast as I could.

_Ring. Ring. Rin . . . _

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hotaru! Guess what, Kokari and Daisuke left for the whole week!"I practically screamed down into the phone.

"Good for you baka." then she hung up. She was rude, but I wasn't going to let her rudeness interfere with my happiness.

I turned on the TV and started flipping through the channels. I found nothing on so I limped my way to the attic. I turned on the light when I got there and looked around. Normally I'm not allowed up here, but they aren't home, so oh well.

I walked around just looking at some boxes that were collecting dust until one box caught my attention. I stopped dead in my tracks as I stared at this box.

A medium sized box that sat at my feet. Now this box wasn't anything special. It wasn't gaudy and it didn't have any intricate designs or bright lights hanging off it to get attention.

I slowly walked over to this box, never taking my eyes of it. It was an ordinary box with five letter written on it in black sharpie. Those five letters is what caught my attention.

M-I-K-A-N. Mikan.

My name is on that box! I kneeled down on my right leg, putting most of my weight on it. I reached out to open the box with slightly shaking hands. When I opened the box my eyes widened.

There, laying on top of everything was my teddy bear, Mr. Bear. I remember my dad taking me to the fair when he had a day off. I wanted that bear so bad that he won it for me in a game and I named him Mr. Bear.

He was a normal brown fuzzy bear, but he had beady eyes that always had a glint to it.

On Bear's neck laid a silver locket shaped in an oval. It had a Sakura tree engraved on the right and its branches extended to the left. Little pink diamonds served as petals floating down to the ground. It was beautiful. I opened the locket to see what was inside and I gasped.

Inside were two pictures. One was of a woman with long mocha hair that was piled on top of her head. Her hazel eyes shone with happiness and love. She was in a simple but eye catching white wedding dress. She was looking into the eyes of a man with chocolate eyes, like mine, with sandy blonde hair. He was wearing a white tux.

I recognized them immediately. They were my parents. Izumi Sakura and Yuka Sakura.

Tears sprung to my eyes as I looked into their loved filled faces. I tore my eyes away from the picture to look at the next one.

This one broke my heart event more. It was of me in my dad's arms with toothy grins on our faces and mom was sitting on a blanket behind us.

The tears started pouring out of my eyes and blurring my vision. I cried loud sobs for the first time in 8 years. I was never allowed to mourn my parents properly and I still wasn't, but I was allowed to cry now for my losses.

I heard a soft muffled voice from down stairs. I quickly wiped my tears away. I put the necklace on, grabbed Mr. Bear, and headed down stairs.

I saw a groggy Youichi standing in the hallway. "Mikan-nee, I'm hungry." he mumbled.

I smiled as he rubbed his eyes. I picked him up and headed to the kitchen. "What would you like to eat?" I asked as I sat him down on the counter. "Chicken Ramen." was his answer.

I nodded and went to get the supplies I need. He jumped off the counter and sat at the table. I noticed I had Mr. Bear still in my arms. I walked over to Youichi. "Youichi can you do me a favor?" I hid Bear from his sight. He nodded. "Can you look after him for me?" I asked as I showed him Mr. Bear. His eyes widened a bit out of surprise and shock.

"I can have him?" he asked in a small voice. I giggled as I nodded. He launched at me, giving me a bear hug. I bit back the pain I felt as I wrapped my arms around him. "Thank you Onee-chan." he said when he pulled back. "Your welcome, You-chan."

He sat back at the table, hugging his new bear. I smiled. I knew Bear was going to go to a good home.

Five minutes later our food was done and we ate in silence. When we finished, I looked at the clock and was surprised to see it was 9'o clock.

"Alright You-chan , time for bed." I said. He nodded while yawning. We walked up the stairs to the guest bedroom. I tucked him and placed a kiss on his forehead as a silent good night. I was heading towards the door when his quiet voice drifted to my ears.

"Wait Mikan-nee, can you sing me a lullaby?" I turned around and walked back to him. I sat at the edge of the bed near his head. "What would you like me to sing?"

He shrugged his shoulder as a silent 'I don't know'. I sighed. I racked my brain trying to find a lullaby to sing. Suddenly I remember a song my mother used to sing to me before I went to bed. I started to hum lightly, then in a soft voice I started to sing.

**Swing low, sweet chariot,**

**Comin' for to carry me home;**

**Swing low, sweet chariot,**

**Comin' for to carry me home.**

**I looked over Jordan,**

**And WHAT did I see,**

**Comin' for to carry me home,**

**A band of angels comin' after me,**

**Comin' for to carry me home.**

_**Repeat chorus:**_

**If you get there before I do,**

**Comin' for to carry me home,**

**Tell all my friends I'm comin' too,**

**Comin' for to carry me home.**

When I finished I saw his eyelids droop close and he mumbled a 'g'night' before his breathing evened out.

I quietly left, turning out the light and softly shutting the door behind me. I went to my room and laid down on my bed. I put my headphones in my ears. I listened to the soft music flowing through my head, not really listening to the words. I soon fell asleep.

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**Thanks for reading. Please review and bear with me because I don't have enough time to type but i will try to get the next chapter in this month.**


	5. Betrayal and Relaxation

**Hey guys. Thanks for reviewing. **

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Chapter 5: Betrayal and Relaxation

~Dream~

_I was suffocating. I couldn't see where I was going. There was grey and black smoke with little flickers of light floating up. My eyes burned from the smoke and my throat felt dry. I could hear the cackling laughter of the fire as the flames danced around me._

_I put my little body on the ground, like I was taught in school when there was a fire. I remember that we had firefighters come in with a fake house on wheels. We were divided into two rooms and after awhile a sickly sweet smoke filled the house. They taught us how to get out of the burning house._

_They told us to breathe as little as possible of the smoke. I was trying to do that, but I kept coughing up a storm._

_Where am I again? Where is my mommy and daddy? _

_I remember that today is my 7th__ birthday. I called mommy and daddy to come home early. I had off school today since it is January 1__st__. My brother, Rei-nii, said he had to do something with his friend._

_I remember who I was and what my parents did. I'm Mikan Sakura. My parents run a big company and we lived in a giant mansion fit for royalty. I loved fairy tails. In fact, I was reading Cinderella before this happened._

_I crawled down the stairs on my stomach to the bottom floor. The smoke is getting thicker and thicker as I go and it is getting harder to see. I feel like I'm in an oven being baked for dinner. _

_I hear a loud crash behind me and I have a feeling the second floor just came down. The fire starts licking at my skin, seeing if I taste good enough. Part of me wants to just lay here and go to sleep and let the fire consume me and the other part keeps urging me to move._

_I listen to latter because I want to live for mommy and daddy and Rei-nii. I crawled through the kitchen till I reached the back door. I notice there is a doggy door. I wonder why we have one, but I don't have time to question it as I hear more of the house collapsing under the fire's whim. _

_I climb through it and breathe the sweet air that greets me. I crawl as fast as I can away from the dancing flames of red, orange and yellow. Now I hear the whirring noise of a fire engine and ambulance. I see the blaring red colors of the vehicles stain the dark green grass as I just realized it was night. I hear the screams of people crying in agony and horror._

_I picked myself up with shaking limbs and take slow steps to the noises. I'm still coughing up the smoke I inhaled from the fire and tears stain my face. I see my brother's body being restrained by a few workers as his head hangs down. That was the last thing I saw as the blackest color entered my line of vision and my body collapsed._

_I woke up in a dark room. A small slit of light was in front of me, indicating there was a door. I walked over to the door, opening it to see a living room with black furniture and black carpeting. A lady with red hair walked into my view. I recognized her as Kokari, my mommy's friend. Daisuke, my daddy's friend walked in behind her._

_I was a bit afraid of Daisuke because of his hard brown eyes and dark brown hair, plus he was a giant compared to me._

_I smiled at them, but they glared at me. My smile faded into a tiny frown. I could hear the TV from the living room. The News was on._

"_This is a very tragic day for Japan. Izumi and Yuka Sakura died today at 3:15 a.m. in the hospital. They were driving on the highway, going home it seems, and they were hit by an 18-wheeler. The doctor's said they had little to no chance of surviving." the man said._

"_That's so horrible Jeff. What happened to their children?" said the woman. Jeff, the newsman, looked sadder as he said, " Their little 7-year old girl was at home, but a fire started at 3:00 p.m. Fire fighters got the fire put out after a few hours, but their was no sight of their little girl. Their son was at a friends house and is now going to live with their uncle. It's a very sad day for the Sakura family, Annie. Now on to the weather with Mike."_

_I blocked the rest out as one thing stuck. Mommy and daddy are dead. No more story time. No more lullabies, no more hugs and kisses good night, and no more them. I started crying my eyes out, but a slap to my face shut me up._

"_Shut your damn mouth! I don't want to hear it. You have no worth now! Everything you owned went to you brother! Everything!" Kokari screamed at me._

_I was terrified. I started backing away as the tears leaked out of my wide eyes. She pulled back her hand to slap me again._

~End of dream~

I bolted upright, then doubled over in pain. I moaned as I pulled the soar muscles of my body. I pulled out my orange Nano ipod to look at the time. 10:00 a.m.

My stomach told me to get up and make breakfast by rumbling. I limped down stairs and saw Youichi watching Sponge Bob. I walked into the living room to ruffle his already messed up hair.

Youichi, what do you want for breakfast?" He looked up at me with a bit of annoyance as he tried to smooth out his hair. Key word: tried_._ "Pancakes"

I nodded. I walked into the kitchen to make breakfast. I made pancakes, sausage, and bacon. The smell was heavenly. "Youichi! Breakfast!" I yelled into the living room.

He ran into the kitchen. We sat down and began our meal. "What school do you go to?" I asked while eating my bacon. "Gakuen Elementary." he said, drinking his orange juice. "I go to Gakuen High." I said.

Our school has 3 divisions in it. There is the Elementary division, Middle school division, and the High school division. They all make up one whole school called Gakuen Alice. A lot of the kids inter mingle with the different groups since there isn't much walking space between them. The Elementary sits in the middle of the two schools though.

"Youichi, if anyone picks on you just come to me and I'll set them straight." He smiled at me and said "Thanks Mikan-nee."

We finished our breakfast and decided to go to the park. Youichi went to the playground as soon as we got there. I limped my way over to rest under a tree. The walk to the park really took its toll on my leg. It was hurting worse than yesterday. I kept an eye on Youichi as I replayed my dream or my nightmare.

I remember that day so clearly. It was my birthday and the day I lost my parents. I was declared dead since no one could find me. I know my brother is out there but I can't remember what he looks like anymore. That day 9 years ago was the day I stopped believing in fairytales.

I was no longer Jasmine from Aladdin waiting for her street-rat to show her a new world on a magic carpet. I'm not Sleeping Beauty or Snow White waiting to get a kiss to wake me up because I know this is reality (the pain indicates I'm awake). My Cinderella life crumbled beneath my feet and all that is left is a bruise and beaten girl who does the chores and sleeps by the cinders. I turned into the beast who needs love, but knows that all it will get is the love of its friends. They took me from Hokkaido and moved me to Kyoto where I woke up to this nightmare I call life.

While I was reminiscing I didn't notice Youichi coming up and falling asleep on my side. When his head touched my ribs, searing pain shot through me, but I would bear it for Youichi. I draped my arm over his shoulders and brought him closer, despite my pain. I closed my eyes for a while and just relaxed.

My eyes snapped open when I heard footsteps coming towards us. Well there goes my relaxation time. I brought Youichi closer to myself. I would protect him no matter how beaten up I was. When I could see there feet, I looked up at them with a glare that could kill anyone. What I saw though was not who I expected.

There stood Hotaru holding hands with Ruka, beside him was Natsume looking board out of his mind, and Persona was standing with his guitar case slung over his shoulder next to Hotaru.

They weren't staring at me though. I followed their gazes down towards Youichi, who started to stir. "You know, it's rude to stare at people when they are sleeping." I said. They snapped their heads to me this time.

"Oi, Polka, who's the kid?" Natsume asked. Of course, he just has to be perverted doesn't he. "One, my name is not Polka, it's Mikan. M-I-K-A-N. Got it. Two, what is it to you?" I smirked. "Oh right, its strawberries today." Natsume smirked right back. I swear if he doesn't wipe that smirk off his face in the next 3 seconds, my fist will meet- "Mikan-nee, who are they?" asked Youichi who was pointing at them.

"It is not polite to point squirt." Persona said. Youichi just stuck his tongue out but stopped pointing.

"Guys this is Youichi. Youichi, these are my friends. Natsume, Ruka, Hotaru, and Persona." I pointed to each one as I said there names. Youichi tugged on my sleeve. "Mikan-nee apparently it is rude to point." he said. I laughed as he said that. "I know it is, You-chan."

I calmed down after a while. Youichi slowly looked them over. When he got to Natsume, their eyes locked and I swear I heard something click.

He turned to look at me now. "Mikan-nee can I call you Mama?" He gave me the puppy dog pout. Damn me for teaching him that. I quickly gave in and said yea. Youichi turned his puppy dog pout on Natsume. Oh no. "Natsume-nii will you be my Papa?" Natsume smirked. Not a good sign. "Sure kid." he said. See I told you, not a good sign.

"Youichi, how about I take you home now?" He looked a bit sad, but nodded anyway. He got up and took Natsume's hand. Now the hard part came. Me getting up with a broken leg, with no crutches. Not the easiest thing to do, but I did it before.

I braced myself with the tree as I slowly pushed myself up. I bit the inside of my cheek as the pain hit me full force. I swear I could hear every groan in my bones and muscles. Natsume, Ruka, and Youichi looked at me confused as Hotaru and Persona had concern in their eyes. I finally stood up straight, but I put most of my weight on my right leg.

I reached out my hand for Youichi to take. He took my hand and started to drag us a bit until we started walking side by side.

We honestly looked like a family. Youichi was smiling while swinging our hands back and forth. I looked over at Natsume and saw him staring at me. I blushed a little under his intense gaze. He indicated with his head to our hands that he wanted to do something. I understood. Youichi swung our hands back, I slightly tightened my grip on his hand. When he brought our hands forwards we lifted him up in the air along with our hands.

Naturally he was surprised, but soon he wanted to do it again.

We did that a few times until I saw a tall building hovering over us. It was a brick building with five floors to it. There was a freshly cut green lawn around it with a fence wrapped around its sides. In front of it stood a sign like wall that read: Alice Orphanage. Natsume looked confused as to why we stopped here. "Youichi's an orphan." I said softly as we walked in. Natsume just nodded.

"Youichi!" a voice said to the right of us. We looked over to see a little old lady. Her gray hair was tied back into a bun. Her white shirt was tucked into a jean skirt. Basically she was that nice little old lady who gave you cookies for no reason.

"Granny." Youichi nodded at her with a stoic face. I think he might be Natsume's son somehow. She came up to him and gave him a hug. "I was so worried about you! You suddenly disappeared at lunch and you never came back." she pulled back to see if he was hurt any where.

"I'm fine. Mama took care of me and mama and papa brought me back." he said. He didn't let go of our hands yet. She then looked at us. "I'm Mikan and this pervert is Natsume. Youichi calls us mom and dad now." Natsume slightly glared at me but Hn'd as a hello.

"I'm Yuki Snow. I run this orphanage. Thank you for taking care of Youichi." she said with a kind smile. I shook my head. "It was no problem at all. I was happy to watch Youichi. I'm sorry, but we have to go." Natsume nodded at my statement. Youichi squeezed our hands before letting go. "Bye mama, papa." He gave us a hug good-bye then waved us off with Yuki-san.

We left the orphanage in silence. After a while I couldn't stand the silence anymore. I was about to speak, but he cut me off. "Where do you live?" I blinked at him while he stared at me. I finally replied with "Birchwood Rd." He nodded his head again. Oh wow, he is such a talker. Be still my beating heart. I shook my head as we continued to walk in silence.

I lightly wince as pain shot through my left leg. Natsume stopped walking besides me. He knelt down in front of me with his back facing me. "Get on." he said. I got on without complaint.

At that moment I felt happy. My heart was pounding in my chest and I hoped to god he didn't hear it. Though it was pounding it was also swelling with . . . no wait, is it swelling with . . . love? I have only known Natsume for what? 3 days now? I guess people aren't crazy when they say love at first sight.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and snuggled a bit more into his warm back. Soon I fell asleep.

**Npov **

I stopped walking when I noticed Polka wince. I knelt down in front of her with my back facing her.

"Get on." I said. I was never the talker so I hoped I didn't have to repeat myself.

Silently she got on. It felt nice with her on my back. Oh god, did I just think that? She was as light as a feather and I started wondering if she was eating enough.

I felt her wrap her arms around my neck and snuggle into my back. Soon I heard her even breathing, indicating that she is asleep. Me heart started to swell in a good way, but it also started to beat a bit faster. Oh god, now I'm turning cheesy. But I think this feeling is . . . love?

Now I feel like I'm in a chick flick where you fall in love at first sight.

I walked into Birchwood Rd., but I had no clue which house she lived in. I tried to shake Polka awake. She opened her eyes a bit. "What house?" I asked. "Blue . . . 2 floors . . . brown roof . . . zzz." she said before she went back to sleep. I walked around awhile till I found her house.

It was a nice house. A light blue house with a dark brown roof with matching shutters. No cars were in the drive way and no one seemed to be home. But this house gave off a menacing feeling.

I opened the door. I looked around and nothing seemed out of place. The kitchen was to the right of the hallway when you walked in. On the left it looks like the wall was torn down so you could enter the living room right away. Across from the door is a stair way that leads up to the second floor. To the left of the stairway is where the hall continued.

Mikan mumbled in her sleep, "couch." I took her into the living room. The design was mainly black and grey. Light grey walls, black carpeting, and black furniture. Against the wall was a fire place.

I put her down on the couch. She opened her eyes though I could tell she was more than half asleep. She sat up, turned to me and did the most unexpected thing. She kissed my cheek. She fell backwards mumbling a 'Thank you Natsume.' I smiled a small smile. I leaned over her and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow Mikan. Sweet dreams." I said before I got up and left.

**Mpov**

I woke up to the living room's light leaving the room. I looked out the window to see the sun setting. It was a beautiful orange mixed with hues of yellow, giving it a golden color. It was relaxing to watch it for a minute. I looked at a clock on the wall. 5:01 p.m. I sighed. I sat up and as soon as I put my left foot on the ground I screamed in pain. My leg was killing me. I looked to my right where the phone stand is. Thankfully the phone was sitting in its rocker. I reached over to the phone and dialed Hotaru's number.

_Ring… Ring… Ring… Rin-_

"Hello." Hotaru picked up the phone. "Hey Hotaru. I have a favor to ask. You invented a new cast right? Where it is only a thin tape wrapped around where it is broken, but it holds it in place. Plus it is barely noticeable , right?" I said, taking slow breathes, trying to ignore the pain. "Yes." she replied. "Do… Do you think I could have that for my leg? I think it got worse since Subaru-nii looked at it." I laid my head back against the sofa as I heard her moving around. "I'll be right over." then she hung up. "Yeah, thanks Hotaru." I mumbled. Sighing, I hit the end button on the phone. I leaned back more into the sofa and just relaxed. It was a very rare time because, normally, I would have been fixing up dinner or beaten till I lost consciousness or I couldn't move or both. I was happy they were gone for a week. It feels too good to be true.

I heard knocking at the door. "Come in." I yelled. I was not getting up for anybody at the moment. In walked Hotaru, Subaru-nii and wait is that … Ruka! I quickly straightened up in my seat and glared at Hotaru for bringing him. What is he? A puppy? Plus I don't trust him. I death glared at him as he walked towards me. He looked shocked. I wonder why. Oh right, my make-up came off while I was sleeping so now my bruises are showing themselves to the world.

I glared harder at him, daring him to say something. Subaru-nii came around to my leg. "Before you do anything, I want him out of the room." I said through clenched teeth. "Stop it. He's seen your face already." Hotaru said. I glared at her. I crossed my arms in front of my chest and leaned back against the sofa. I turned my head away from them to look at the now darkening sky.

I felt him pull my pants leg up to my knee. He sighed. "Your right. Your leg did get worse. You walked on it a bit too much." he said. "I know. Just put the cast on and put it on the tab I owe you." I bit out.

Subaru-nii nodded, then went to Hotaru who had a flesh colored wrap in her hands. She held it away from him. "Why are you mad?" she asked me.

I glared a murderous glare. "I did not tell you my secret just to let you tell your boyfriend. I trusted you Hotaru. I don't trust him, but I trust your judgment. The least you could have done was to tell me he was coming. I wouldn't have been so mad then. Just put that cast on my leg and leave." I saw a bit of hurt in her eyes. She wordlessly handed the cast to Subaru-nii. He gently put the cast on my leg. Then they left.

I let the angry tears fall after they left. I felt betrayed. I let her know the one thing I didn't want anyone to know and she goes and tells her boyfriend, who I only known for three days at the most. This will not be a good week as I thought it would be.

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**If you have any questions I will answer them to the best of my ability. Please R&R. Alright guys i want 40 reviews for the next chapter. So tell your friends and neighbors to R&R so you can get the 6th chapter**


	6. More people find out

**Hey guys! I'm going to give you a free chapter for Easter. I know you probably dont like the demand for reviews but that lets me know people actually like this story and i love hearing what is on your mind about the story. I also love hearing the questions you guys ask. So please review as much as you can if you want more chapters even one word works like Awsome. P.S: Things always get worse before they get better.**

_thoughts_

normal

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**WARNING READ NOTE BEFORE YOU START READING.**

Chapter 6: More people find out

The cast is working wonders on my leg. I can hardly feel it except for a dull pain. The only bad part about today is that I have to go to school.

I exited my house only to see Persona's black Mercedes sitting in my drive way.

I walked over to his car and got into the passenger seat without saying a word. "Care to tell me why you are mad at Hotaru." Oh god, how did he know? He started the car as he waited for my answer. Well I better get this over with. "She brought Ruka with her when I needed my leg checked out by Subaru-nii with out me knowing. And now he knows my secret and I don't trust him." I looked out the window when I finished explaining. For some reason I just can't lie to him. I noticed that we were almost to school.

"Don't be mad at her. She has her reasons." Why, oh why does he have this brotherly aura about him. He makes me feel like I did something wrong by putting all the blame on her. It made me want to cry and make a little hole in the ground and just hide from the world.

I sucked in a big breathe, trying for the life of me to get rid of the boulder in my throat. "I know." I got out of the car with him in tow. He came around the front of the car and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He always knew when I was about to cry. "It will be ok. Just talk to her." he gave a slight squeeze and left.

I headed straight for my locker with difficulty. I told you before, people did not like me.

When finally I got to my locker, I saw Hotaru waiting there, without Ruka. I looked around for the puppy. "I told him."

"Huh?" was my brilliant reply.

_Good job. Next, try to sound like a three year old instead of a two year. Then we can make progress with trying to sound your age._

"I told Ruka about you, but I made him swear not to tell anyone." she answered. I was still a bit peeved about this, but I trust Hotaru. _And look how far that got you._ I took a big breathe and tried to banish this little voice in my head.

_How is that going for you?_

I sighed. "Don't worry, I forgive you." I smiled at her. Relief. That was in her eyes at the moment as one of her rare smiles made itself known.

I quickly ran to look out a window.

"Baka, what are you doing?" she asked, back to her normal self. "I'm seeing if it will rain cats and dogs or a big disaster will happen." _Oh don't forget flying pigs. _She looked at me funny. "Why?" the sky is still clear. _Oh thank god._ "Because you smiled." I got hit by the baka gun for that remark.

~time skip to class room~

I laid my head down on my arms. I wasn't really sleepy since I got more sleep, it's just that I feel really hyper. I looked out the window watching the birds fly, the trees swaying to the wind, and the clouds trailing behind lazily.

Suddenly, my nice peaceful silence was broken by screaming girls at the front of the classroom. _Don't they know when to shut up!_

I turned around to glare at them. "NATSUME-SAMA! RUKA-SAMA! WE LOVE YOU!" they screamed. Then I saw Natsume and Ruka enter the room. My god, what are they? Celebrities? Is this normal for a high school?

Natsume just walked right up to me and sat down next to me in his seat. Ruka looked a bit uncomfortable sitting next to Hotaru. I caught him sneaking glances at my with pity in those blue depths.

I turned my head back to the front, trying not to smack that pity out of him. I saw those fan girls advancing on us. Don't they know how to leave someone alone. They spotted me and glared. _Grudges die hard, I guess._ Oh This. Means. War.

I glared back at them, they continued to glare at me. After a 10 minute glaring contest I gave them my death glare. _Thank you Persona for teaching me._ They all looked scared and ran to their seats.

I glared at them a bit longer and I swear they looked like they were praying to god to spare their lives and started to sweat out the Nile.

I smirked in victory. That'll teach them not to mess with me.

"Jealous, are we?" a voice to my right broke me out of my victory dance in my head.

I tuned to look at Natsume, who had an amused look on his face and a sinful smirk to boot. I glared playfully at him.

"No, I hate the noise that they make. Plus your not that good looking." Biggest lie on the planet. He just rolled his eyes at me and continued to read his manga. 30 minutes into our free first block (what do these teacher do?) the door opened at the front of the room.

Some people poked their heads out the door to see who it is. Some of the girls started squealing. I took that as my queue to close my eyes and ignore them.

"Awww… aren't you cute!" I heard Sumire coo. "What are you doing here? Are you lost?" Asked a random girl. "Onee-chan will help you!" said another girl. "No, I'm not lost. Move old hags." My eyes snapped open to see Youichi standing there with Mr. Bear in his arms. He was also surrounded by screaming girls, which were being glared at by him.

"Youichi." I said. He looked straight at me. He tried to get past the girls to get to me, but those bees-itches wouldn't let him through.

I looked at Natsume, pleading with him to help Youichi. He gave a slight nod in my direction. "Move." he said with a glare that rivaled my own. I could see them fear for their lives as they parted like the Red Sea for Moses.

"Thank you." I silently whispered to Natsume. He just grunted in response.

Youichi tugged on my shirt. I looked down at him as he raised his arms. I picked him up and sat him on my lap. "What are you doing here Youichi?" I asked. It is the middle of first block and I don't know how many teachers are like Narumi-sensei who gives us a free block.

He turned his head away from me. I quirked an eyebrow at him. _Oh no, what did he do._ Natsume turned towards him. "Youichi." he said in a demanding tone. "Mama, Papa, please don't get mad." he quietly said, but it was still loud enough for the whole class to hear. I could see everyone going into shock of what Youichi said, but I could care less at the moment.

"We promise not to be mad. Now tell us what is wrong." I said. He sighed, but didn't look at us. Instead he found a fascination with the desk. "At nap time, some kids bullied me." he started. I could feel Natsume tense a bit. "What did you do?" asked Natsume. Youichi looked him straight in the eye. "I told them that my Mama and Papa would protect me no matter what." he said it confidently. I smiled proudly at him as I hugged him to my body. "That's right Youichi." I whispered to him. Natsume smirked and ruffled his hair.

Youichi glared a him as he tried to smooth his hair down. I shook my head at them. Boys will be boys. I felt another tug at my shirt. I looked down at Youichi to see him with pleading eyes. "Mama can you sing me another lullaby." I blushed a little. "Here?" I squeaked. He nodded and did an adorable pout. I looked around the classroom. Every one was staring at me. Hotaru was even recording the whole damn thing!

I felt another tug at my shirt. I looked back down at Youichi. "Please." he whined. I sighed. This was a lost battle anyway. "Fine." I could never win with a face like that. He made himself comfy on my lap. I started to sing softly.

**Come stop your crying  
****It will be all right  
Just take my hand  
Hold it tight **

**I**** will protect you  
From all around you  
I will be here  
Don't you cry **

**For one so small,  
You seem so strong  
My arms will hold you  
Keep you safe and warm  
This bond between us  
Can't be broken  
I will be here  
Don't you cry **

**'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more **

**You'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart, always **

**Why can't they understand  
The way we feel?  
They just don't trust  
What they can't explain  
I know we're different but,  
Deep inside us  
We're not that different at all **

**Don't listen to them  
'Cause what do they know?  
We need each other  
To have, to hold  
They'll see in time  
I know **

**When destiny calls you  
You must be strong  
I may not be with you  
But you've got to hold on  
They'll see in time  
I know  
We'll show them together **

**Oh, you'll be in my heart (You'll be here in my heart)  
No matter what they say (I'll be with you)  
You'll be here in my heart,  
I'll be there always  
Always **

**I'll be with you  
I'll be there for you always  
Always and always  
Just look over your shoulder  
Just look over your shoulder  
Just look over your shoulder  
I'll be there always**

I finished the song with my eyes closed. I opened my to see Youichi's eyes were closed and his even breathing filled the room. I looked at everyone in the room who were staring at me wide-eyed, except Hotaru.

"What?" I whispered. That seemed to snap them out of their trance. They all turned back around in their seats and the talking resumed.

"Who knew you could sing, Polka." said Natsume. I rolled my eyes at him. The door slammed open, making Youichi jump in his sleep. In walked Jin-Jin. I glared hard at him, warning him to be quiet. He actually looked a bit scared and we had a quiet class for once.

Lunch finally came! Natsume took a now awake Youichi from me and headed to the cafeteria. I went straight to the Sakura tree. I sat down for a minute. Then I look around, looking for anyone near me. When I was satisfied that no one was here but me, I pulled up my sleeves. I looked at my arms. They had an assortment of color to them.

The ones that were black started to fade into a deep purplish-blue. The older ones started to fade into a yellowish-green color and in some spots I could actually see my pale skin. I noticed I had a cut on one of my arms. It went from the middle of my forearm to my elbow. It scabbed over, but it was still red around the cut. Now where did I get this cut.

I pondered this thought for awhile as I checked for more cuts on my arms. A loud crash brought me out of my examination. I snapped my head in the direction of the crash and my face paled as my eyes grew wide.

There standing a few feet away was Natsume holding Youichi's hand. The crash was Natsume's tray hitting the ground. I quickly pulled down my sleeves as I smiled brightly at him. He looked livid as he stormed over to me. My smile fell off my face as he grabbed my hands in one of his. "N-Natsume what a-are you doing?" I asked, fully afraid now. I tried to shrink away from him, but he kept a firm grip on my hands.

He didn't answer me, he just yanked my sleeves up as far as they could go. He examined my almost completely blue with a mixture of yellow-green arms with scratches littering some areas.

He dropped my arms and grabbed the end of my shirt. I started to struggle, but he ended that by sitting on my thighs. He pulled my top to where my bra ends. I looked away, already knowing what he was seeing and let's just say my stomach was worse than my arms.

He got off my thighs and went straight to the bottom of my sweats. I was blushing scarlet after he pulled my top up. He pushed the pant legs up to mid thigh. My legs were just as bad as my arms except they had a multitude of scratches on them and my left leg was broken. At least he knew why I limped.

He tugged my pant legs down gently, then he swallowed loudly. Natsume gently took my chin in his hand to make me face him. I swear he was going to burn something with just the look he was giving me. "Who did this to you?" I could tell he was trying not to yell by the strain in his voice. I tried to look away, but he kept a firm hold on my face.

"My adopted parents." I whispered, closing my eyes in shame.

"Look at me." Natsume said.

I didn't want to look at him. I didn't want to see the pity or disgust or sympathy that would be in his eyes. I was afraid to see that. Afraid that he would leave me after finding out how broken I am. I know I sound selfish for wanting this handsome man by my side, but I can't help it. I love him.

"Mikan, please, look at me." the gentleness in his tone begged me to open my eyes. I reluctantly opened my eyes till I was staring into his crimson ones. As soon as my eyes connected with his I felt strong arms envelop my small frame. I was shocked. "Natsume…" see he even shocked me speechless.

He hugged me tighter and I felt him nuzzle my hair. Holy crow, he nuzzled my hair! I'm sure my face went a new shade of red. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears and I'm pretty darn sure he could too.

"I'll protect you from now on." he said. My eyes widen even more that I think they now rival a baseball. There were many things I wanted to say to him.

I wanted to laugh at him for thinking he could protect my. I wanted to scream at him for making me sound weak, like I couldn't handle my situation (its kinda true but hey give me a break). The one emotion that overruled the rest was my happiness. I just wanted to cuddle in his arms, to feel his warmth and to trust him. I wanted to trust him with my life and my heart. I wrapped my arms around his back to let him know that I trusted him with everything.

Our moment was broken by a sniffle to our right. We broke apart immediately. I saw Youichi standing there with tears falling out of his eyes. The color in my face drained out and I'm sure I invented a new shade of white too. A kid should not see their mommy bruised and beaten no matter the age.

I held my arms out for him, wanting to give him a hug. He hesitantly walked over to me and gently put his arms around my neck. My heart broke at this gesture. "Shh… Mommy is okay. Shh…" I whispered in his ear. He stopped crying after a minute. He plopped down in Natsume's lap. I saw Hotaru, Ruka, and Persona coming up with food on their trays.

Ruka looked down at the ruined food then to us.

"What happened?" he asked as he sat down in front of us. Hotaru and Persona did the same. Natsume answered him, "Fan girls. They won't leave me the hel-" *Bang* Hotaru shot Natsume with her Baka gun.

Natsume sat up holding his head. "What the hel-" *Bang* she shot him again. Natsume was getting angry. "For fuc-" *Bang* again he got shot. I told you she doesn't like cursing.

_Ladies and Gentlemen the daughter of Satan. _Stupid annoying voice.

Natsume stood up and yelled, "KNOCK IT OFF!" Hotaru stopped and put away her gun. Natsume sat down next to me. "What is your deal Imai! Why the hel-" *Bang* and down goes Natsume. We were all trying to hold in our laughter except for Hotaru and Youichi who had blank faces as always. _I swear he is related to Natsume._

I sighed as he sat up again. I grabbed his arm before he said anything. "Natsume, don't curse in front of Hotaru or you'll be shot. Oh! And don't curse in front of Youichi!" I said crossing my arms across my chest. He just rolled his eyes. "I can say what I want, Ichigo-chara."

I blushed and smacked him upside the head. "Pervert!" I screamed.

"Alright love-birds! Mikan you need to eat." Persona said. We both glared at him.

After lunch was over we headed to our classrooms. Youichi decided to sit on Natsume's lap the rest of the day. We headed to the parking lot when it was time to go home, but Youichi had to ride the bus to Central Town to get home.

I saw Persona's car gone. "Your not riding with me." Hotaru said as she walked away, dragging Ruka with her. I turned to walk the 45 minutes to my house when a hand grabbed my upper arm.

"Where do you think your going?" Natsume asked. "Home." I replied. _Where else would I go?_ "I'll drive you." He started to drag my to his car. "You can let go of my arm you know." I stated. "I know, but you might run away." he teased. I rolled my eyes. "Oh yes, watch me run away with a broken leg. Hey, maybe, I'll break the track record too." I said sarcastically. He glared at me. "Smart ass."

We reached his car and I could feel my jaw drop. His car was a sleek red Ferrari. He put his fingers under my chin. "Shut your trap before a fly goes in." I nodded my head and got in the passenger seat. We sat in a comfortable silence with me giving directions here and there.

We reached my house after a while. As I was getting out of the car he grabbed my hand. I turned to him with my foot out the door. "I meant what I said back at the Sakura tree." I saw the sincerity in his eyes.

I smiled at him "I trust you." I bent over to him and kissed his cheek. I pulled away quickly, then bolted to the door, not noticing there was a car parked in the drive way.

I swear my face turned a new shade of red again, but it went away just as quickly as it came when I opened the door.

There standing in the hallway was none other that Daisuke. "Who the hell was that?" he growled. I kept quiet with a neutral face. I promised myself that I would not put anyone who knew my secret in any danger, especially my friends.

Daisuke was starting to get red from anger. "I asked who the hell was that!" he yelled. I stayed quiet and calm. His face turned an ugly purple as he grabbed a fistful of my hair. I had to squeeze my eyes tight and bite my tongue to keep from screaming as he dragged me down the hall.

He tore open the basement door and threw me down the steps till I hit the cold floor. He marched down the steps leaving only a crack a light to see. Then he started to kick me.

At the end of it, I was gasping for air. Daisuke walked back to the door. Before he closed it he said, "This is your punishment for not telling me. I'm going back to Hokkaido and I don't know when we'll be back. Have fun." and with a maniacal smile he left, locking the door behind him.

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**Please R&R for next chapter.**


	7. What I feel

**Hey guys, thanks for reviewing. I wont be able to update for awhile because finals are this week and i am busy during the summer. I loved reading your reviews that you sent me. All of them made me smile and a few of them made me laugh.**

**By the way the girls ages are 16 and most of the guys are 17. Persona is 19 and that will be explained in a later chapter. **

**Thanks guy and on with the story!**

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Chapter 7: What I feel

How many days? How many days have I been down here?

No light reaches me so I can't tell time by day light. No sound is present down here. All my senses are useless in this place, besides my touch and smell. Though all I can smell is musky air with a rusty mix to it. I feel a hard cold floor beneath me and open space all around.

My knees are to my chest, the pitch black room my only companion. The scary thing about this is that I can't tell when I'm asleep or not. The room sometimes feels as if it wants to suffocate me, wrapping night long fingers in a gentle caress against my throat. Then they let go as soon as they came. Sometimes when I close my eyes the only thing I hear is a low, sinuous chuckle. Mocking me, as if my situation is funny.

When I close my eyes to sleep for awhile, a light streams down to my face, making my eyes burn from the sudden light difference.

Before I can pry my eyes open a ruff hand grabs my forearm and drags me up stairs. I'm thrown to the ground as soon as we reach the top.

I slowly try to open my eyes to see blinding light before I close them again. I repeat that process until my eyes have adjusted to the harsh light. Loud voices reach my sensitive ears and I can't help but to clap my hands over them.

"Go make dinner!" a male voice screeches behind me as a boot kicks me in the back, indicating to get up and go. I weakly get to my legs before stumbling off in the direction to the kitchen.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Kokari glaring at me as I go to the kitchen. I quickly make dinner, wincing every time I make a loud noise.

The bright lights and loud sounds are making my stomach turn and squeeze itself. I give them their dinner before I bolt to the upstairs bathroom.

I bend over the toilet as I empty stomach acid into the bowl. I start dry heaving when nothing else comes up.

I slide to the floor with my cheek pressed to the tile. I take deep breathes as I get up to go to my room. As I pass the mirror I stop in my tracks.

My eyes widen when I take in the sight of me. I look like I came out of a horror film. Dry blood is caked all over my face and runs down my neck and soaked into my shirt. My hair is matted with the dry blood.

I open and close my mouth as I try to form words.

_Come on fishy. Just shut your mouth and jump into the shower. _

I wordlessly close my mouth and head to my room. I grab my sweats, went back to the bathroom, and jumped into the shower.

After I showered I went into my room. I noticed my ipod lying on my bed. Well lets see what the date is.

Thursday. 6:47 p.m..

_Time flies when your having fun right? Not!_

3 days. I have been down there for three days. It felt way longer than that.

_Well its not the first time you've been down there and probably not the last either._

I sigh as I shake my head. That weird little voice called a conscience is right. It is not the first nor was that the longest I've been down there. I slowly lay down as I remember the first time they used that punishment.

_~Flashback~_

_I was 7 years old. It has been a month since my parents died. I was hungry so I went into the kitchen. I saw an apple sitting on the counter. I reached for the apple but before I could grab it a hand enclosed around my wrist. I looked up to see the cold face of Kokari. She didn't say anything as she dragged me to the basement and threw me down there into the darkness. When I looked up I noticed the door was closed. I pulled my knees to my chest and rested my head on top of them. What did I do wrong?_

_~End of Flashback~_

I stayed down there for a day. I later found out that I wasn't allowed to eat food without their permission. The loop hole was that I could eat when they are not home. The longest I was down there was a week. Over the years my body finally got use to not having food over a long period of time.

My eyes started to droop close sending me to where my worst nightmares play.

_~Dream~_

_I woke up to be surrounded by darkness. I look every which way by no light reaches my eyes. Where am I again? Oh yeah, in the basement. Great._

_Sigh, it has been a year now since I lived with Kokari and Daisuke. I've been getting beatings every other week now and it is slowly going into two times a week.. I looked around again. _

_Black, black, and more black. Wait! Oh, no that is just a darker shade of black. _

_I closed my eyes since there really is no difference whether my eyes are open or not. I'm actually starting to like it down here. It's quiet, so I can think and it doesn't hurt me every five seconds of my life with words or fists._

_I notice the door being opened. A tall figure appeared in the light with a long black stick in its hand. I notice the figure is male so it has to be Daisuke. _

_He walked down the steps and reached above his head. Light flooded the room and I squint my eyes close from too much light. He grabbed my thin wrists and pushed me up against the wall. My back facing him. Daisuke lifts them above my head where cool metal grips them in an unforgiving grip. I start to panic about what he is going to do to me. I hear a loud crack behind me before I register the pain in my back. I realized now he has a whip._

_I felt a thin leather string cut into my back for a split second before coming back again. I felt pure agony from the pain and I could tell he felt pure pleasure from hearing me scream._

_I screamed every time the whip made contact with my back, digging more and more into my skin. It went on like that for a while. My screams being overlapped with laughter from him. I pray to every god out there to make it stop._

_Then it stopped. Thank you whichever god that heard me. He unshackled me, turned off the light, and left the door open. I fell to a heap on the floor, trying to control my breathing. I could feel the blood on my back oozing out to mingle with the rest of the cuts._

_A face flashed through my mind. Hotaru. She was my new best friend here. I remember she said that her brother wanted to be a doctor._

_Painfully I got off the floor. I moved as fast as my quivering legs could to the door. I noticed Kokari and Daisuke were gone because their car wasn't there. I grabbed a jacket because my shirt was in tatters on the back and I ran. I ran despite everything. I remembered the directions she gave me. My 8 year old body practically flew to her house with blood trailing behind me._

_15 minutes later I was at her house, my jacket soaked through with crimson liquid that dripped onto the pavement. I banged on the door, trying to ignore the dizziness. My vision had black specks creeping around the edges and as soon as I saw her door open I fell into the darkness's awaiting arms._

_~End of Dream~_

I awoke with a cold sweat covering my sore body. I could hear the cars pulling out of the drive way. I breathed a shaky sigh of relief, knowing that they are gone. I sat there as I remembered that dream that was once a reality. That was the day that Hotaru and her family found out about my abusive home life. I made them swear that they tell no one.

The last time someone got suspicious was our neighbors and a week later they upped and disappeared. New neighbors moved in a week later and they seemed to get along well with Kokari and Daisuke.

My dream was also the first time I got whipped. I now get whipped once a year. After that I learned that they liked to hear my cries of pain so I keep my mouth shut or bite the inside of my cheek. They get board real quick if I don't cry out.

I got out of bed to get dress. I put on a long sleeve camouflage tee-shirt with the words 'Army Girl' on the front with a gold star behind the words. I put on baggy black jeans with my black converse. I went down stairs, then headed to the phone. I dialed Hotaru's number.

_Ring. Ring. Ri-_

"Hello." came the monotonous voice of Hotaru. "Hey Hotaru! Do you think you can pick me up? They left for work so it should be fine." I asked. Then I heard the dial tone. I sighed. Lets hope she comes to pick me up.

I walked into the kitchen to grab a granola bar. I left the house eating my granola bar and noticed that Hotaru's car was sitting in the drive way. I silently got in the car and she started the car and pulled out.

"Where were you?" I was putting make-up on to cover up the bruises and cuts. I didn't even bat an eyelash as I answered. "Locked in a basement." She knew exactly what I meant. Her face was still stoic, but her eyes had a hint of worry in it. "Don't worry they didn't whip me. Yet." I whispered the last part under my breathe.

We arrived at school soon and went to our lockers. I saw Persona leaning on my locker with worry in his eyes. When he saw us he gave me a hug. "Where were you?" he demanded. "Sorry dad, I was locked in a basement." I said with some sarcasm at the beginning.

He looked ready to kill as I said that. I closed my locker after I got my books. I gently put my hand on his cheek. "Don't worry they didn't do anything more than the beating and no whips were involved in the beating." I softly said to him. He nodded and left for class.

When Hotaru and I entered the class I saw a mass of girls surrounding our desk. Hotaru got out a new invention of hers that looked worse than the baka gun.

_Look out girls she is about to shoot. Better run for cover too._

I looked at it in question. "Baka bazooka. Clears out a room of idiots in seconds. 13,000 rabbits." she replied while taking aim. I ran behind her so I didn't get hit. She fired at the girls and before I blinked the girls were flying over our heads screaming like banshees. It was hilarious. It was like a giant wave that goes over your head but you don't get hit nor wet.

Hotaru walked over to her desk where Ruka sat while I went over to Natsume. Before I got to sit down a girl with seaweed colored hair stopped me.

"I forbid you to sit next to Natsume-sama. You are not worthy enough to sit by him, unlike me, Sumire Shouda. Go sit some where else you piece of trash." she growled in my face.

I flinched a bit at her words. I knew deep down that was true, but that is my seat. "Permy." She turned red with anger at that. "That is my seat. If you want me to change seats so bad then ask the teacher, not me. Besides you have Koko. Am I right?" I looked over to Koko who was walking up to us.

He smiled his goofy grin and cocked his head to the side a bit. "Yeah. As long as she loves me the most I don't care who she is obsessed about." he said. Permy turned red with embarrassment and walked back to her seat. Koko's eye's looked at me in concern. "You okay, Mi-chan? You look a bit pale." I laughed nervously at his concern. Yeah we are not the closest friends but we talk once in a while.

I waved a hand as if brushing off the concern. "I'm fine, I was out sick for three days." He nodded his head and went back to his seat next to Kitsume. I sat down in my seat. I felt Natsume staring holes into my head. I gritted my teeth together so as not to scream. "Can I help you?" I grounded out. "Where were you?" he whispered. I glanced at him then looked away. "Locked in a basement."

_How many times do I have to hear that question and say the same answer? I was locked in a basement and my answer is not going to change, people!_

He growled next to me and grabbed my arm. I squeaked as he dragged my out of the room. "Oi, Natsume, where are we going?" I screeched. He didn't answer me as he kept on walking. Soon we were at the Sakura tree.

He sat down and pulled me in front of him. I looked at his livid face that told me he was ready to kill. I placed my hands on his cheeks and rubbed soothing circles on them. "Calm down. I'm not hurt. Sure I'm a little sensitive to bright lights, sounds, and smells, but I'm perfectly fine." I could see the anger slowly leave his eyes.

He pulled me into a gentle hug. "I'm sorry." he whispered into my shoulder. I giggled a bit. I was shocked. I never would have thought Natsume knew how to apologized. "What for?" I breathed. I had really no clue why he was apologizing to me. "For not protecting you." he said in a strained voice, as if it was a hard concept to imagine. I sighed. I was sighing a lot to today and I might have lost a year for it. "Natsume you can't protect me from everything. What I go home to is one thing you can't do anything about."

He lifted his head off my shoulder. "Why?" he demanded.

"One time, when I was young, I screamed when they hit me. At the time, I didn't know they liked to hear me scream. Our neighbors were getting suspicious about what was going on in our house. They called the cops once, but they couldn't find anything out of place. I was in the basement at the time and they told the cops I was at my friend's house. When the cops mentioned the screaming, they told them I had nightmares. After that incident our neighbors suddenly moved away and was quickly replaced by new ones." he stared at me with hatred in his eyes.

I laid my head on his shoulder and his arms wrapped around my back. "Don't worry. I'm turning seventeen in less than four months and once I'm eighteen I'll be out of the house." I said. He tightened his arms around me. "I'll be damned if I can't protect you from now on. What if they kill you in the next year?" I shook my head at his stubbornness. "If I get killed, then I get killed. I have very few people who would care if I'm gone." I chuckled darkly. He held me at arms length. "Youichi would be sad if his mother was dead. Imai, Persona, and Ruka would be upset if their best friend was gone. I would be upset too." He said the last part quietly

Tears started to form in my eyes. "Why?" I said quietly. "Why do you care?" I asked a bit louder. He looked me straight in the eyes, determination shining in crimson pools. "Because I love you."

**(I was thinking I would leave it there but I love you guys too much.)**

My eyes widened as he said those three words that made my heart swell. He tried to hide his blush behind his bangs. It was silent for a few minutes.

_C'mon girl speak like a human. Don't stare like a fish_.

I was trying to get over the shock of someone loving me. " I understand, if you don't love me back." he whispered. That broke me out of my trance. I realized he was waiting for my reply. I smiled as I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his torso. He stiffened a bit. I buried my head in his chest as I replied, "I love you too, Natsume. Since the day I met you, I fell hard for you."

_We are going to have a cheese falling from the sky soon from all these cheesy lines._

He wrapped his arms around my waist. I felt him kiss the top of my head, then he smiled. He frickin' smiled! I was so happy I could die a happy girl!

Natsume leaned down a bit and I immediately understood what he wanted. I blushed my new shade of red and leaned up. I could feel his breath on my lips as our eyes fluttered closed. Our lips were barely touching when a cry behind us broke us apart. I looked over Natsume's shoulder. I saw the most horrifying sight.

There Youichi was, on the ground with his hands covering his head. Five kids who looked a bit older than him were kicking and laughing at him. I could vaguely hear what they were saying. "Where is your Mama and Daddy now?", "They probably don't exist.", "You poor orphaned boy. Your mommy and daddy probably don't want you, orphan." and, "Go die!" is what I picked up. My hand went up to my parted mouth and my tears over flowed. Natsume looked livid again. "Stay here." he ground out, then he started to head over to the boys.

**NPOV **

I just told Mikan I love her and the next thing I know is Youichi being pummeled by five boys. Wait let me re-say that, five little monsters. Mikan was in tears as she watched. "Stay here." I grounded out as I made my way over to them. I saw the boys laughing as Youichi cried. I promise here and now to protect both Mikan and Youichi. They did not deserve this.

_Correction, no one deserves this._

I yanked a boy off of him. They all looked up at me. "Papa." Youichi whimpered. "This is your daddy!" a boy screeched. I gave them a glare that promised a painful death. "Yes and if you know what is good for you, you'll leave him alone. Along with any other kids you bully or you'll be dealing with me." Venom laced my voice as I spoke. They ran away screaming for their lives as if the hounds of hell were on their heels.

_They better run._

I picked Youichi up as a way to calm him down. I carried him back to the tree where Mikan was standing there waiting for us.

When I got there she wrapped her arms around the both of us. Youichi was crying as we held him. He fell asleep as the last of his tears were shed. "C'mon, I will take you two to my house." Mikan looked like she was about to protest. "Don't. You look like your sick because of how pale you are and Youichi just got bullied by five kids. I think you can take the day off."

She nodded her head without a word. We went to the reception desk and asked if we could be sent home. The lady sent us home with an excuse card for the day. Mikan got in the passenger seat of my car. I sat Youichi in her lap and got in the driver's side. I only lived 10 minutes from the school.

Mikan's mouth fell open as we passed the gates to my house. Yes I live in a mansion along with Ruka. My house was a light grayish-tan with a dark gray roof. There was a curved stair case that came down the porch. **(Pictures of Natsume's, Hotaru's, and Persona's houses are on my Profile.) **I pulled around to the side of my house where the garage is. I parked inside and got out. Mikan fallowed me into the living room where cream colored furniture sat.

A beige floor laid across the floor with off white walls. Long windows lined the right wall, leading out to a patio. Brown two seater and three seater sofas surround a dark brown coffee table that sat in front of a white fire place. A wide screen TV sat above the mantel. **(Sorry if it is not a good description, please say if you have a better idea for the living room. I need pictures for the kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms. Please I need help.)**

Mikan and I sat down on the sofa with Youichi still asleep on my lap. Mikan leaned her head on my shoulder while I put an arm around her shoulder.

"No kid should go through that." she softly said. She ran her hand through his hair as he snuggled into my chest. I rested my head on hers as a silent 'your right'. We were like that for awhile. Mikan watching Youichi while I watched the both of them. I lowered my arm to her waist and pulled her closer to me. I kissed her head and said. "Rest for awhile Polka. You had a long day." She glared at me before closing her eyes. I smirked at her as her breathing evened out. I moved back so my head was laying on the arm rest, Mikan was in between the sofa and me and Youichi was on my chest. Soon I was out too.

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**Thanks for reading. Please tell me your thoughts by reviewing. Bye**


	8. Evil Fan Girls

**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. This chapter is to celebrate my one year since i joined FF. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

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**?POV**

I sat in the empty classroom filing my nails to perfection. I grabbed my light blue nail polish and started to paint my nails. My cell phone started to ring out 'Barbie Girl'.

"Hello." I answered.

"Hello." a sharp voice answered.

"To what do I owe this honor of a call?" I asked. I started to paint my toenails with my cell phone on the desk on speaker phone.

"We have no use for her anymore. You can kill her now." the voice said.

"How do you want me to kill her?" I started to lightly blow on my nails.

"I don't care. As long as you kill her." the line went dead as they hung up. I sighed as I started to put crystals on my pointer nail. "Well, I guess I'll round up the girls and carry out the plan tomorrow. Then I can have Natsume all to myself." I started to laugh to the empty room as the sun started to slowly lower.

**MPOV**

I woke up feeling warm and content. I felt a weight on my waist and felt something moving under my arm. I cracked my eyes open to see a black clothed chest under my head. I tried to sit up but the arm around my waist pulled me back down. I tried again and a growl challenged my struggles.

"Stop moving." Natsume demanded. I pouted, but complied. I felt him burry his head into my hair making me blush a bit. I absently picked at a string while lying in his arms. I gasped as I realized something. I bolted up startling Natsume and making Youichi stir.

I was looking everywhere for the thing that would determine my fate. Natsume just stared at me with confusion. "What time is it?" I practically screamed at him. Natsume just shrugged and pulled out his phone. "3:02. Why?" he asked. I paled when I heard the time.

_I can practically see the headstone now, 'Here lies 'Mikan Yukihara_ _Sakura, Born 1/1/1995, Died 11/05/2011. A beloved friend that died a mysterious death. May she rest in peace' _

"I have to get home. If I don't I'll die or I won't be able to move for a week if I get lucky." I started to ramble on and on about what Kokari and Daisuke would do to me if they came home to an empty house.

I heard the door knob to the front door turn as a girl that looked to be 8 or 9 walked in. She had short hair that was down to her chin. She looked like a female Natsume.

"Aoi." Natsume sat up with a, now wide awake, Youichi. "Onii-chan, I'm home. Who is this girl?" she questioned. Natsume didn't even bat an eye as he said, " Mikan Sakura, my girlfriend. She is going to stay the night." then he looked down at Youichi. "This is Youichi Hijiri. He is our adoptive son. He is also spending the night."

My jaw dropped. Not because of how he introduced Youichi or me but because he said I'm staying the night.

I grabbed the collar of his shirt and practically screamed in his face, "Natsume! I can't spend the night! What would they say! Never mind what they would say, what would they do!" I started to shake him a bit as I said this.

He grabbed my wrists and pried my hands off his shirt. "What time do they get home?" I blinked, "What?" he glared at me then. "What time do they get home, Polka?" he said it slower as if I had a mental problem.

I glared right back, "5 o'clock p.m.". Natsume nodded. "Oi, Aoi, make up a story saying that we found her passed out or something. I need it done by 5:15." Aoi nodded happily and ran up to her room. Youichi just sat there staring at us. Suddenly my stomach rumbled. I blushed a deep red as Natsume chuckled.

"Why don't you take Youichi to the kitchen and find some lunch for us." Natsume said. I nodded as I picked Youichi up. I walked into the kitchen and was unfazed by what it looked like, but it was a beautiful kitchen. **(Kitchen on profile.)** I sat Youichi down at the island while I went to root through the fridge. I found frozen chicken in the freezer and some salad bags in the fridge.

I looked over at Youichi and noticed that he was just looking around the room. "Yo-chan, you like chicken right?" I asked. He nodded his head. "and I suppose you don't want a salad right?" again he nodded his head. I looked back in and notice some pudding cups. There were chocolate, vanilla, and a mix of both. "You like chocolate right?", I looked back at him. He nodded. "So how would you like a chicken sandwich with chocolate pudding as a side?"

He sat there thinking for a minute before he replied, "That sounds good Mama." I started to pull out the ingredients just as Natsume walked through the door. "I called the orphanage and Yuki-san agreed for you to sleep over." he went over to a draw and pulled out a coloring book and a pack of 64 crayons. He sat down next to Youichi and let Youichi draw while I made a late lunch or early dinner, how ever you see it.

"What are you making?" Natsume asked. I found the buns in a top cabinet as I answered, "Grilled chicken sandwiches and I'm going to have a salad as a side. Do you want a salad too?" I found a George Foreman grill in a cabinet below the counter. "Hn." was his reply.

_He should win the least amount of words spoken in a lifetime in the Guinness World Record book. _

I started to wash the salad thoroughly making sure it was clean before I put it into two bowls. I went back to the fridge looking for dressing. I saw a dozen or more different kinds. I grabbed the Ranch dressing. "Hey Natsume, what kind of dressing do you want?" I asked. "Italian." was his reply. I grabbed the Italian dressing along with shredded carrots and a cucumber.

I closed the door and started to chop the cucumber into slices. I checked on the chicken and noticed they needed to be turned over. I finished up with the salads and soon finished with the chicken. I served the food when I was done. When we were done eating I noticed it was close to four o'clock.

"My mom is going to be home soon." Natsume said. Suddenly I was nervous. Would she like me? Did I look ok? Those kinds of thoughts started to go through my head. Natsume just stared at me as I started to fidget. He raised his arm and flicked my forehead. "Baka~. Stop worrying about things. I love you and that is all that matters."

I was shocked to hear Natsume say that. Before I could say anything a voice called from the direction of the front door. "Natsume! Aoi! I'm home!" Natsume's mother started to walk into the kitchen. "Oh! Here you are Natsume." his mother said as she gave him a hug. Then she looked at me and Youichi, who moved onto my lap.

"Who are they?" she asked. I nervously answered, "I'm Mikan Sakura, I am dating your son. This is Youichi Hijiri. Yo-chan say hi." Youichi stared at her before bowing his head and saying, "Grandma." as a greeting. Mrs. Hyuuga froze as she stared at us. Then she exploded.

"Natsume, how could you have a child without telling me! You know better than to sleep around without protection! I hope you plan to marry this girl!-" "Mom." Natsume tried to interrupt, but she kept on ranting. "-You're not even out of high school yet and the kid looks to be about five years old already! I can't believe you had sex at 11!-" "Mom!" Natsume tried again, but she still didn't stop. "-Just wait until your father gets home! When he finds out about the kid we are going to have a long talk about waiting until marriage! We are too young to be grandparents and-" "MOM!" Natsume yelled. "WHAT!" she yelled back.

"Youichi is adopted or will be once we get out of high school." he stated calmly. Mrs. Hyuuga sighed, relief stretching over her face. "Thank god. I'm too young to be a grandma." she said. Natsume stared at her, "You're 42 years old. That is not young."

I gaped at him and slapped the back of his head. "Natsume! You don't mention a woman's age." he just shrugged and picked up Youichi. He put Youichi in his mother's arms, "Watch him for us." then Natsume grabbed my hand, dragging me to the garage. He hit a button which made the door raise. Natsume then handed me a black helmet.

"Put it on.", he stated as he strapped his on. He walked over to a red and black motorcycle **(Picture on profile.)**. He motioned me to get on. I got on wrapping my arms around his waist as he revved the engine. Then he shot out of the drive way.

It was amazing as I saw the streets and people pass in a blur of color as Natsume speed down the streets. I closed my eyes feeling the bike vibrate underneath me and snuggled into the warmth coming from Natsume.

I didn't realize that we stopped until Natsume started to get off. I quickly got off and took my helmet off too. I looked around and noticed that we were in front of the mall. He grabbed my hand, interlacing our fingers as he took me into the store. He dragged me into Hot Topic first. "You need clothes for tomorrow." was all he said as we walked around.

I noticed some girls ogling his body so I glared at them when Natsume wasn't looking. I finally picked out a black t-shirt that says 'zombies make better boyfriends' which Natsume rolled his eyes to and a pair of red skinny jeans that had rips in it with fishnets underneath.

We went to the check out counter and as we waited in line I didn't notice Kyle sneaking up behind me until it was too late. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and pick me up. I squealed as they spun me around in a circle. "Mi-chan!" screamed Kyle. I laughed at his over dramatic hug as Kevin watched from the counter.

Kyle put me down and Natsume wrapped his arms around me protectively. It was our turn to check out so we moved to Kevin. "Hey Mi-chan. Who is this?" Kevin asked. I laughed nervously, "This is my boyfriend, Natsume." Natsume grunted a reply and tightened his grip on me. Kyle handed his credit card to Kevin as tears started to pour down his face. "Kevs-sniffle- our little Mi-chan is growing up." Kevin nodded sadly, then he said, "Well honey, we need to check to see if this boyfriend is good enough." Kyle nodded as Kevin grabbed me in his arms. Kyle started to walk around Natsume as if looking to see if he is award winning material. Natsume just glared at them, but stayed still.

Kyle stopped behind Natsume and said, "I like him. He has a good build and he has a nice ass." as if to prove his point he grabbed Natsume's butt. Natsume's eyes popped wide open and his body froze solid. He looked too shocked to move. I sighed. Kyle and Kevin love to play as my parents some times and they also love to mess with people.

Kyle likes to act as the more feminine one, while Kevin acts as the more masculine one. "Kyle stop feeling up my boyfriend." I said. He looked at me with a pout. "But Mi-chan~. Nat-chan has such great biceps and pecs and I bet he has a six pack too." Kyle whined. I looked over at Natsume. He wasn't moving a muscle. I'm not even sure he was breathing.

I shook my head at the twins, grabbed my bag, took Natsume's hand, and headed to the door. "Go find your own!" I called back. "We approve!" was my answering response. Natsume was still in a daze as we walked back to the motorcycle. When we got to the motorcycle he wouldn't move.

"Natsume." I said.

No response.

"Natsume!" I called.

No response.

"NATSUME!" he snapped out of it. "What?" he asked. I sighed as I wrapped my arms around his stomach. I rest my head on his chest. Kyle was right, he does have nice pecs. I felt him wrap his arms around my waist. "I'm sorry about them. They love to mess with people." Natsume put his chin on top of my head and sighed. "It's alright, but if one of them grabs my ass again they won't have hands to grab anything with anymore." he threatened. I laughed at his threat.

I pulled back to look at his face to see that he was staring at me. I felt a steady blush rise to my checks as his head lowered down. My eyes fluttered close when I felt his lips touched mine. It was a sweet kiss that lasted a minute. He pulled back enough for us to breathe then he went back for more. I felt his tongue trace my bottom lip before shooting into my mouth. I gasped as I felt his tongue on mine. This kiss wasn't like the first. It was hot and passionate yet slow and needy.

He pulled back so he could breath. I was heaving sweet air in like a drowning man. I rested my head back on his chest as I tried to control my breathing. "Lets head home now." he sounded a little breathless and I honestly didn't know how he could talk at the moment. I nodded my head against his chest before he pulled away. Natsume cupped my cheeks in his hands. He kissed me short and sweet, not like our earlier one. He smirked before he got on his bike.

Soon we were on his motorcycle heading home. When we opened the door, Youichi came running up to us in different clothes. He had on a black shirt with flames coming up from the bottom only to stop at his chest, blue jeans with white and grey sneakers with a flaming black skull on the outside of the shoe.

Natsume shook his head. "Looks like mom started to dress you up." Youichi nodded as he stretched his arms up, silently asking to be picked up. Natsume pick him up. Youichi then whispered so only we could hear. "Grandma's scaring when she is around clothes."

I chuckled at his response as I sat down on the sofa with Natsume. Aoi came running down the stairs with the phone in her hand. "Onii-chan! I have the perfect excuse for Mikan-onee-chan to spend the night." Natsume nodded. Aoi gave the phone to me so I could dial. We put it on speaker phone so we could hear what was being said.

"Hello." a sharp voice asked. Kokari.

"Um. Is this Mrs. Matsudaira-san?" Aoi asked.

"Yes and who is this?" Kokari barked backed.

"This is Aoi Hyuuga. I have Mikan Sakura staying over at my house." Aoi replied. I could practically see the glare and sneer on Kokari's face.

"Why is she staying over at your place." Kokari harshly demanded.

"My brother and I were walking home from school when we found her passed out in an ally. She was cut and beaten so we took her home." Aoi countered back. I had to admit Aoi was brave.

"Then why didn't you take her to the hospital?" Kokari asked like it was the most obvious thing to do.

"Well we were going to, but she regained conciseness and when we mentioned hospital she started to freak out telling us no hospital. She gave us her number before she passed out and it doesn't look like she will wake up till tomorrow. We called to let you know where she is so you don't have to worry." Aoi replied sweetly.

"Thank you." Kokari said before the line went dead. I stared at Aoi for a few seconds before saying, "Have you ever thought about acting?"

Aoi giggled at my question. "Yep! That is what I want to be when I grow up." I smiled at her answer. "What about you?" she questioned. I sat there and thought about it. "Honestly I never thought about it. Well we'll just see what the future holds." I replied. " Onii-chan is going to take over the Hyuuga corps. when her turns 21." Natsume glared at his little sister and she ran away squealing her head off. I just laughed at the siblings.

Youichi tugged my shirt to get my attention. "Mama's parents sound scary." I just smiled a sad smile and said in a soft voice. "They are not Mama's real parents." Natsume looked at me confused. "You're adopted?" he questioned. I heaved a big sigh.

"I guess you could put it that way." I leaned into the sofa more. "My parents died in a fire and my brother went to live with our uncle. My full name is Mikan Yukihara Sakura. My mom was Yuka Sakura and my dad was Izumi Yukihara.

"My Jii-chan's last name was Sakura. I was six when he died. My parents changed some of their companies' names when he died. When Rei-nii and I went out we used Yukihara as our last name instead of Sakura since it draws less attention. Kokari and Daisuke took me away when I got out of the fire and I've been missing ever since." I finished, looking down at my locket.

I looked up into Natsume's crimson eyes that had flecks of worry in them. "Why haven't you gone to look for your family?" he asked. " I don't know. I guess I was just so focused to live through the nightmare that I forgot about them. I just started having dreams about my family. Maybe that is what I'll do when I turn 18. I'll look for my family." I smiled up at him.

"Mama, where are we going to sleep?" Youichi asked. I turned to look at Natsume to see if he had the answer. "You are going to sleep in my room." he said simply. I blushed red. "Neh, Yo-chan, why don't you ask Grandma for pjs for us ok?" I asked. He nodded his head and ran off to find her.

Natsume grabbed my hand and lead me up the stairs. He showed me that his door was on the right, Aoi's room was next to his, and the bathroom was across the hall on the left. I nodded my head to show I understood. I told him I was going to take a shower while he got ready for bed.

I started to strip out of my clothes leaving me in my bra and underwear when the door opened. I turned around to see Mrs. Hyuuga standing there. Her eyes widened as she took in my appearance. She opened her mouth like she was going to scream, but no sound came out.

After five minutes she regained her voice. "What happened to you?" she asked loudly. I opened and closed my mouth, feeling very scared about her reaction.

Natsume showed up at the door in a long sleeved shirt and boxers. He noticed his mom's staring and my lack of speaking. He glared at his mom while he put his shirt on me to cover me up. "Let her take a shower and I'll explain it to you ok?" Natsume growled as he continued to glare at his mother. She glared right back. "Fine."

I looked down at the floor as they left. I noticed a pair of blue stripped flannel pants and a light blue t-shirt. I also noticed Natsume's shirt was dark blue.

I got in the shower, worrying about what would happen to me now. I got out and dried off. I slipped my pants and panties on and I reached for the shirt Mrs. Hyuuga gave me. I stopped my hand in mid air, instead I grabbed Natsume's shirt and put it on. It was bigger than me and went down to mid thigh but it was very comfy and smelled just like him.

I left the bathroom with my hair still wet and went down to the kitchen. There I found Natsume and his mother talking about me. "Mom, don't question her about anything. I told you everything she told me. Just leave her alone." Natsume said. His mom looked angry. "Natsume! How can we just turn a blind eye to this. She is-" that is when she noticed me standing there, gripping the end of Natsume's shirt like a little kid who just woke up from a nightmare.

"I'm sorry." I whispered with my head down. "Mrs. Hyuuga, I-" "Kaoru." I stared at her. She smiled at me. "Call me Kaoru. Mrs. Hyuuga makes me sound old." Natsume looked like he was going to comment about something, but I stopped him with what I said, "Kaoru, I am sorry I didn't tell you, but now you know and I want you to promise me you will not tell anyone."

She looked shocked that I want her to stay silent. "Mikan, you need to get out of that house as soon as possible! Child abuse is a serious crime and I will not sit around and watch as a teenage girl gets abused right before my eyes!" she cried. I looked down feeling ashamed at myself for involving this family in my problems.

My voice shook as I said, "I know what I am asking is wrong, but they have connections to people and I don't want to get your family hurt. My friend's, Hotaru's, family knows too. I begged them on my hands and knees that they won't tell anyone. All I asked is if they could help me when I need it and that is all I ask of you. Please don't get hurt because of me. Because of a broken girl."

I dropped to knees with my hands holding my upper body up. Tears started to drip down like the slow, steady rain that I could now hear outside. I have not cried in years, but the built up tears have finally had enough. They are now making themselves know.

I felt hands wrap around my shoulders, comforting like only a mother knows how. "Alright. I will not tell anyone, but I'll dig up information for the time when you want to go against them. We will provide you with the support you need and a loving home to go to." Kaoru pulled away to look me in the eyes. She had the exact same eyes as Natsume and Aoi. I could see where they got their looks from. I nodded my head in thanks. I got up and dried my tears off with the sleeves of the shirt. Natsume came over and wrapped an arm around my waist, silently giving me support.

"So, I'm guessing you are sleeping with Natsume tonight." Kaoru stated with a smirk. I buried my head into Natsume to hide my blush. "Alright, but no hanky-panky. I already have one smart alec grandson, I don't need anymore." with that said she walked into the living room to watch TV.

Natsume rolled his eyes at her retreating form. He grabbed my hand, interlacing our fingers and headed up stairs. We entered Natsume's room and I was surprised by how clean it is. (Picture on profile.) I saw Aoi sitting on the bed with Youichi reading Aladdin. They looked up when we entered the room.

"Neh, neh, Mikan-onee, do you believe in fairytales like Aladdin and Cinderella?" Aoi asked. I sat down on the king sized bed next to Aoi. Youichi climbed into Natsume's lap when he sat down. "Well, I'll be honest. I don't believe in fairytales anymore. To me they turned into silly fantasies that are not real." when I saw Aoi's defeated look I quickly said, "But that is just me. I'm sure a lot of people are looking for their prince or princess. If you like or believe in things then don't give them up for another person's disbelief or to fit in. If it is something you treasure, then treasure it with all your heart."

Aoi beamed as she got off the bed and said goodnight. Youichi yawned as he started to crawl towards the middle of the bed. Natsume pulled back the covers as he got in on the right. I got in on the left and put my arm around Youichi. Natsume did the same and turned off the light. Soon the darkness of night came in with it's friend, the sandman.

_~Dream~_

_I was sitting on my daddy's lap as he finished off a story. We were in my room with him leaning against the head board while I laid against his chest. I lifted my head up to see his face. "Daddy, what makes a fairytale a fairytale?" I asked. He looked down at me with kind, sleepy eyes. "Well princess, a fairytale always starts with 'Once Upon a Time' and ends with 'Happily Ever After'." I sighed, exasperated with his short explanation._

"_I __know __that daddy, but what __makes __it a fairytale." I said again. He leaned his head back and sat their in thought. "Maybe it is actually doing something that no one else does or going for what you want with all your might. It maybe for something or for someone." he replied. I sat their thinking about what he said. _

"_Rei-nii said fairytales are dumb and that I should pay more attention to real life instead." I softly said. _

_Daddy looked back down at me with a serious expression on his face. "Baby girl, you don't listen to your brother. You have your own beliefs and he has his. You don't give up if that is what the crowd is doing. You give up __only__ when you are absolutely sure you want to give up." I smiled up at him. "Okay daddy!" I cried. He smiled and kissed my forehead. "Good night princess. I will see you in the morning." he tucked me in and walked to the door, turning off the light. The door closed behind him and the only light in my room is my castle shape nightlight._

_~End of Dream~_

I woke up to see Youichi's sleeping face. I noticed that Natsume wasn't in bed. I looked over at the clock to see it was 7:00. I had an hour before school started. I gently shook Youichi awake. "Yo-chan, get up. We have to get ready for school." he moaned in his half awake state, but got up wordlessly. I got up and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I got dressed in the clothes that I got yesterday. I went down stairs to see Natsume making breakfast.

I stood there staring at him in disbelief. He looked over at me as he set the table. "What?" he asked. He was already dressed in jeans and a plain black tee. "Who are you and what happened to my moody boyfriend.?" I asked. He rolled his eyes at me and told me to sit down. Youichi came in wearing a black and grey striped polo with jeans and the grey and white sneakers.

Aoi and Kaoru soon entered along with a man I didn't meet yet. The man had black hair with green eyes. He had a decent build with a 6'3 height. He had a bit of stubble on his chin.

"What happened to my son? He never cooks breakfast." Natsume's dad said, shocked. Kaoru walked past him saying "It's love dear." he looked to me then. "You must be Mikan." he said. I nodded my head yes. He smiled at me. "I'm Natsume's dad. Call me Kyo." he winked. I felt a light pink stain grace my cheeks. "Oi, old man, don't hit on my girl. You have your own." Natsume glared at him along with Kaoru.

We all sat down and ate Natsume's cooking which was pancakes, eggs and coffee. It was good. After we ate Natsume, Youichi, Aoi, and I left for school. Natsume drove us in his Ferrari. As we were driving a question came to mind.

"Natsume, what do your parents do?" I asked. He glanced over at me before saying, "My mom is a Privet Investigator and a damn good one at that. My dad owns several businesses that I'm going to inherit when I reach 21." I turned my head back to the front window. We reached the school and Aoi went to the elementary school. Youichi just stayed with us for the morning. It was boring for the first few classes and soon Natsume fell asleep. The fan girls glared at me most of the morning more so than usual.

The bell rang signaling the beginning of lunch. I looked over at Natsume. "Youichi why don't you go with Aunt Hotaru for lunch while I get papa to wake up." He nodded as he ran off to find Hotaru.

I sat there and stared at him for a minute. He had his chin on his arms and his eyes close. I poked his cheek. "Natsume. Its lunch time." he groaned but did not move. I did the I'm-staring-at-you-so-you-better-get-up-damn-it thing. He didn't budge. I sighed. I kissed his cheek, hoping that would do something. Nothing. I got up and kneeled in front of him, absent mindedly poking his forehead. He finally sighed, opening his eyes to glare at me. He sat up only to stretch his arms above his head.

He reminded me of a cat. Lazy attitude, gets irritated easily, loves to sleep. Yep, defiantly a cat. I wonder if he is addictive to cat nip.

While I was musing about what other cat traits Natsume had, I felt something soft, warm and slightly wet press against my cheek. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Natsume's face. He pulled away smirking. "Returning the favor." he simply said. I rolled my eyes at him. He stood up and interlaced our fingers, dragging me to the door.

We started heading to the Sakura tree where we usually have lunch on good days. As our friends came into view, they noticed our interlaced hands. Hotaru raised an eyebrow at us questionably. I beamed like there was no tomorrow. "We became a couple." I cheered happily at them.

"Congrats. I got it all on tape too." Everyone gave Hotaru a funny look as she pulled out a step ladder from behind the tree, climbed up the ladder, and grabbed a video camera. She suddenly played the video. It had everything. From Natsume dragging me, hugging me, me questioning him, our confessions, our almost first kiss, him getting Youichi, and us leaving to go to his house. My eyes widened and so did Natsume's. When it was done playing we both glared at Hotaru. If looks could kill she'd be 6 feet under in five seconds flat.

We both looked away from her and to Youichi. He looked like he just remembered something important. He glared at me as he marched over to us. We all stood frozen in place as he got nearer to me. I slowly kneeled down to his height as he stopped right in front of me. Suddenly he threw his arms around my neck, startling me.

"Mama, where were you for those three days!" he cried into my neck. It always broke my heart to see him upset. I don't know how but in the short time span that I've known Youichi is that I've grown more attached to him as the days go by. He really does feel like my own son.

"Shh…It's okay now. I'm here. I was just sick for awhile, okay?" he nodded into my neck, the tears stopping immediately. "Youichi, who were those boys?" Natsume asked as the rest of them sat down. Youichi went over to him, starting up their conversation about the bullies. He started to explain who they are and what they do to him. What amazed me was that they both held blank face while talking, while a minute ago Youichi was crying into my neck. I sometimes wonder if Youichi really wasn't our son. I mean he has Natsume's attitude about everything. Stoic expressions, very little emotion, and lets not forget the chatter boxes they are. Note the sarcasm. But Youichi also has my crybaby tendencies when it comes to family or people in general and he also has a big sweet tooth like me.

As if reading my train of thoughts, Persona leaned over to whisper in my ear. "Are you sure Youichi's not Natsume's and your's child?" I nodded my head. "I didn't even know Natsume when I was 11. Plus I'm still a virgin." I replied. He looked relieved as I said the last part.

Half way through lunch I remembered that I still hadn't talked to my one teacher about make up work. Mr. Misaki, our science teacher, might still be in the classroom. I excused myself, telling them my reason and reassuring them that I didn't need someone with me, as I walked away.

I got to the classroom and then went to my seat, since the teacher wasn't here. What I saw surprised me when I reached my seat. There on my desk written in every imaginable writing utensil were vulgar words that range from the simple 'you die' threat to 'Leave this place or suffer our wrath.'. The threats cover my desk leaving no clean spot. This never happened before. People just ignored me, not threatened to end my life, by stating it on a desk.

I spotted a bucket with soapy water with a sponge in it for washing the board. I quickly grabbed the bucket and started scrubbing the words off. Sometimes I wish it was as easy as this. Just scrubbing your troubles away. Scrub the abuse away. Scrub the threats and name calling away. Scrub my problems away and let them disappear with the suds. But what would life be if you didn't have these bumps in your road to happiness. Mine might not be as small as others, nor as big, but I'm still going over those bumps. Waiting for my road to go into a smooth spot.

I put the sponge back in the bucket and put the bucket next to the board. I just waited out the few minutes that were left until lunch was over. I rested my head in my arms, but was suddenly yanked up by a hand gripping my hair as if it were a lifeline. I was staring into the ice blue eyes of Luna Koizume. "You stay away from Natsume." she spat before letting my head fall against the desk as she walked away.

I know I should stay away from a man who is too good for me, but I can't help it. I love him.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. I heard loud chatter coming from the hall as the students started filing into the room. I was too absorbed in what Luna said to notice a hand intertwine with mine. I jumped a little as I felt a gentle squeeze. I saw Natsume looking at me strangely. I gave him a smile, letting him know I was alright.

The girls in front of us were talking rather loudly. I remembered their names. Anna and Nonoko. They are the best of friends who are practically twins. They were talking about the Christmas Masquerade Ball that was coming up. "I'm going to dress up as Sleeping Beauty!" squealed Anna. "Oh! I'm going as Snow White!" Nonoko squealed with her. Soon Permy joined them saying she was going as Jasmine. I snorted. More like Cruella deville. I shook my head at them. Then they turned to us.

"Mikan-chan should dress as Cinderella!" started Anna. "And Hotaru-chan should dress as Bell!" Nonoko finished. "Natsume could be Prince Charming and Ruka could be the Beast." they stated while clasping their hands together. Stupid twins, that is just what they are. I rolled my eyes as I turned to look out the window.

I started to drift into the past as I tuned them out.

_~Flashback~_

"_Mikan!" my father called. "It's time for bed!" he was looking around for me in our fairytale mansion. It was a nice big white mansion with marble floors and eggshell white walls. I loved my house. It made me feel like Cinderella._

_I giggled as my father lifted up a rug, trying to find me. I was sitting behind a giant vase. "Honey what are you doing?" my mom asked as she turned the corner. "I'm looking for Mi-chan!" he exclaimed happily. "But I can't find her." he whined. He stomped his foot, then pouted like a little kid who got his candy stolen. I giggled again. Sometimes my dad was such a child. Mom rolled her eyes, then pointed in my direction. I gasped. I close my eyes. Maybe if I couldn't see them, then they couldn't see me either._

_I felt two hands grab under my armpits and hoisted me up in the air. My eyes snapped open as I squealed in pure delight. My dad was hold me up in the air and spinning in circles while chanting, "I found her~, I found her~, I found our little princess~" I squealed again. "Daddy~. Put me down or I'll get Rei-nii." He smiled a toothy grin at me. "As you wish." he said. He gently put me back down. I ran straight to my room to grab a bed time story. I sat in the middle of my bed, bouncing slightly, like a kid on a sugar rush. My dad came in followed by mom. He sat down on the edge of my bed, ruffling my hair in the process. He plucked the book from out of my hands and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we read this yesterday?" he questioned. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest while a scowl that Rei-nii taught me appeared on my face. "No dad. We read little red riding hood yesterday. Today we are reading Aladdin!" he chuckled at my response and started to read._

_My favorite character in that book is Genie because he makes me laugh._

_My eyes started to droop as the story ended. My mom tucked me in bed and kissed my forehead goodnight. My father also kissed my forehead goodnight. Before my father turned out the light he said, "Sweet dreams, Princess." he turned out my light and closed the door. I fell into the land of dreams._

_~End of Flashback~_

I felt another squeeze at my hand. I looked over at Natsume who was looking at the board. I looked forward to noticed we were in science. I squeeze his hand back. I remembered that day. I was five years old. I was daddy's little princess while Rei was mommy's little prince, though she said daddy was her king.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. The weekend came and passed by like always. The weeks that followed were getting worse and worse. It was finally the last week before Thanksgiving break though we had a Monday and a Tuesday before it started. That week was one of the worst.

Monday my desk was filled with insults upon insults and Natsume found out along with Hotaru, Ruka, and Persona. Tuesday my gym shoes got ruined along with the locker (I'm allowed to where sweats during gym.). Wednesday my locker got trashed. Spray paint, ripped papers, you name it they did it. Thursday random things were falling on me like erasers, buckets filled with thing, trash cans, and flower pots. Thank God I wear dark clothes. They took it up a notch on Friday. They put razor blades in my desk! The insults were getting worse too. Natsume look afraid that I'll snap at any moment. I had to go to the nurse because my hands were all cut up from the razors.

The whole school also found out about Natsume and me. Not a whole lot of people were happy. Namely the fan girls, though they didn't like me from the beginning. Now they have a reason to hate me even more. I was getting tired of this really quickly too. I have physical and verbal abuse at school now.

_What more could a girl ask for._

The weekend broke through to Monday and I was wondering what would happen today. I was walking alone in the hallway for once. Normally one of my friends or boyfriend would be walking with me. Ruka had to help out with the Animal club. Natsume has detention with Jin-Jin. Persona is on a sick leave and I have no clue what Hotaru is doing.

I was heading home now since it was the end of the day and strangely nothing happened, not even the insults were on my desk. As I was thinking about the fan girls break thru, I felt a hand on my mouth and a blindfold covering up my eyes. I smelt a funny smell and soon I was out.

I woke up to a dark room. I tried to move my arms, but they were tied. My legs were the same as my arms. I know my blindfold was off because I didn't feel any cloth brushing against my face. This is just as bad as the basement back home. A light turned on somewhere above me. I saw as least 20 girls surrounding me. Apparently I was on my back with my hands in front of me. The light created that circle that only surrounds you but creates enough light to outline the features of people. I could vaguely see them parting to let someone through. Luna came out with a steel baseball bat in one hand and examining her blue nails on the other hand. She slowly lifted her gaze to lock eyes with me.

"We told you to stay away from Natsume, even gave you a few weeks too, but you didn't listen." she sneered at me. The girls surrounding me took it as their cue to start hitting me with all different kinds of things and let me tell you it was no pillow fight. I had to dig my teeth into my bottom lip to keep the screams at bay as whimpers of pain escaped my throat. I don't know how long I laid there helpless as they hit me. They targeted every inch of body they could. Luckily they only hit my legs a few times. I could feel the blood slowly ooze out of my head as it dripped onto the floor. The blood from my busted lip ran down my chin as I turned on my side. I could feel the blood traveling down my body like a slow moving river all ending at the floor. Slowly a crimson puddle was forming underneath my body as conciseness was walking away from me.

Suddenly they blindfolded me again. I felt them grab the rope around my wrists and ankles, making them bite into the skin. They started carrying me to god knows where. Soon I heard the crunching of dead leaves under there feet. Well I guess that answers my question. We were in the Northern woods. For some odd reason our school has the woods as part of their back yard.

I slightly swung back and forth as they carried me. My body was now numb with pain. It was quiet in the forest besides the crunching under their feet. It reminded me of a sacrifice in ancient times. I was the pure young maiden being sacrificed to a god for the sake of my village.

I started to think of my life as we went deeper into the woods. There were so many things I wanted to do. I wanted to see my real family and tell them I was alive. I wanted to spend more time with my friends. I wanted Youichi to know I will always be there for him. Lastly I wanted to tell Natsume I love him one last time.

They stopped and stood me upright. They untied my hands only to tie them around a skinny tree. They started to wrap a thick rope under my breasts down to my hips. Once they secured the rope around me, they took off my blindfold. I could see most of the girls heading back through the forest. Luna stepped up to speak.

"I, Luna Koizumi, president of the Natsume-Ruka fan club, have sentenced you to three days in the woods with no food and water. Your crime was dating Natsume-sama." she said. I raised an eyebrow at her. "You're the president? I thought Sumire was the president or did you do the same thing your doing to me to her?" I said weakly. At the moment air was a luxury and I couldn't afford to waste it on trash like her. She slapped me for that comment. "She was not fit to be the president. Besides she loves Koko to much." she said snidely. I laughed a humorless laugh. "Oh and your fit to be president? Don't make me laugh. Your just a bitch who gets a kick out of seeing people in pain. Your the type of person who asks Daddy dearest to get you things. You're a cruel person. I hope you rot in hell," I spat at her with my last remaining strength. She slapped me again as she got red from anger. Then she turned around and with the remaining fan girls, walked away without turning back.

I was alone now and still losing blood. I could feel my face swelling up. I never thought I would die by jealous fan girls. I always thought I would die by the hands of Kokari and Daisuke or if I got lucky old age. I laughed bitterly at that thought. I slumped against the tree as I raised my head to stair at the now dark sky. Tonight is going to be cold since it is the last week of November.

* * *

**Please Read and Review. I want to reach 55 reviews. Bye!**


	9. Being Saved and Finding Out

Chapter 9: Being Saved and Finding Out.

**MPOV**

I was shivering as the dawn broke through the night. My face was swollen like a balloon and my one eye was closed shut. I shifted a bit against the unforgiving ropes and the itchy bark of the tree. I felt a fleeting warmth spread across my back before I felt something moving down my back. I looked up at the beautiful scene before I had to look away with tears in my eyes. It was too beautiful for someone like me.

I looked back at it anyway. Even though it was beautiful, someone as broken as me can't help but to admire it from afar, knowing I could never I have this beauty for myself, especially that crimson red sun.

I let the tears flow to intermingle with the dried blood to create red streaks on my face. I bit my lip to hold in a cough, though all it did was muffle the hoarse sound. I felt the rusty taste of blood before it trickled out of my mouth.

I slumped against the tree, laying my head on my captor for now as I watch the cerulean sky wash away the colors it portrayed as the blush of the sun faded back to the blinding yellow color.

I knew I wouldn't last the three days that I had to stay here. I just hoped to whatever god that takes pity on me will let me go back to my crimson eyed prince and my little world.

**NPOV**

I had a bad feeling as I left the school. I just brushed it off as nothing of importance. When I got home I noticed Aoi sitting in the living room watching TV. I walked over to lean against the sofa. She was watching NCIS. I shook my head. She goes on and on about being an actress, yet she gets hooked on murder mysteries or the stuff like Burn Notice.

I stood there watching the beginning of the show, but the bad feeling came back when I saw someone find the body of a dead teenage girl. I shook my head and headed down stairs to the game/weight room of the house.

I put on Linkin Park. I started to work out by lifting weights, trying to shake that bad feeling off. After a few hours my cell rang through the blaring music. I was sweating a river as I answered.

"Hello." I said out of breathe.

"Natsume, your father and I won't be home tonight. I have an all-nighter for a client and your father has a business party to go to and will stay in a nearby hotel. You can order out if you want. Bye." my mom hung up before I got a word in. I sighed as I picked up my sweaty shirt off the ground, heading up stairs to tell Aoi to order something.

I hopped in the shower as Aoi ordered the pizza. I changed into a pair of sweat pants when I got out of the shower. I went down stairs noticing Aoi paying for the pizza. We sat in the kitchen eating our food in silence. After dinner I went upstairs to my room. That bad feeling was back so I went to bed. That bad feeling hit full force before I drifted to sleep.

I woke up covered in sweat the next morning. The nightmares were horrible. They were all about Mikan. Of her dying because of abuse. Of her screaming at me that I didn't protect her like I said I would. Of her broken body always out of reach while her chocolate eyes stared at me, the color fading every second as her body turned into a pasty white.

I got dressed into a black muscle shirt with a long red sleeved, button-up shirt over top of it. I slipped on a pair of faded jeans and grabbed my shoes. I entered the kitchen before grabbing a piece of toast, my keys, and my cell phone. I exited the house to go to school. As I was getting closer to the school the bad feeling was getting worse, almost becoming a suffocating feeling.

An image of Mikan's broken body flashed through my mind as I pressed the gas pedal a little more. I hoped that once I see her the bad feeling would go away.

I headed to class as soon as I parked. When I entered the classroom, something felt off, like something unforgivable happened here. I walked to my desk and noticed that none of the insults were on her desk.

Imai came in a little bit later, looking a bit worried, though she didn't show it. Ruka followed in after her, looking worried too. The fan girls in the room were looking proud as if they did the world a huge favor.

Class started and the gay left us to a free period. Lazy teacher. I was staring out of the corner of my eye at Polka' seat, wondering why she wasn't here today. I heard the clopping of heels coming towards me as I turned my attention back to my manga completely ignoring whoever it was. One finely manicured, ice blue nail pushed down my book so I could look them in the eyes. And to my great disgust it was Luna.

"Hey Natsume." she purred like a damn cat, leaning forward to show off her bosom. "Do you want to have dinner and a movie with me?" she batted her eyelashes as if she had something in her eye. She tried to sound cute and seductive, but she sounded like a cat high on crack. "No. I already have a girlfriend." I replied harshly as I returned my attention back to my manga.

She 'hmphed' as she turned away. "Not for long." she muttered as she walked away trying to swing her hips. She just looked like she had a pole stuck up her ass. My head snapped up at what she said as that horrible feeling that I had intensified. Before I could do something the bell rang. Now I had to wait for lunch.

When lunch came I shot out of my seat like a bullet and headed straight for the door. I let my gut lead me to where the source of this bad feeling lay. Like a well, the feeling became deeper and deeper as I continued through the school until I started heading into the woods. Like a bad horror movie, I was the stupid idiot that went into the woods, swearing up and down that nothing bad will happen, but I could still hear my overactive heart in my ears.

No matter how deep a well is it always ends somewhere. I stopped in a clearing in the middle of the forest. The grass was all but dead and brown as no noise reached my ears. The bad feeling was overwhelming and I swear I stopped breathing. Slowly, as if afraid (I snorted, a Hyuuga in never afraid.) by an unknown thing I turned to my right.

As soon as I turned everything stopped. I dropped to my knees as my eyes widened in sheer horror. There, in the center of the clearing, was Mikan tied to a tree that was shaped as if it could have been a willow, with dead drooping limbs and oddly shaped lumps in the bark. Her hair was dark with streaks of blood that was matted in certain areas. Her face was covered in bruises, making her seem as if that is her real skin color. Her eye was swollen shut along with her cheek. Her lips were puffy and split with a deep purple tint that was not healthy.

Her face was streaked with blood with the cuts that littered her face. Her arms were pulled back as far as they could go around the tree as her legs dangled uselessly inches above the ground. I could see dark red running down the splits and holes in the bark, some actually joining the rest on the ground.

I got to my feet as I stumble over to her. I quickly jabbed my index and middle finger to where her pulse point is. I let a shaky sigh of relief go as I felt a weak pulse. "Oi, Polka, you got to wake up now!" she needs to be awake. "Na…t…sum…e…" her quiet hoarse voice reached my ears. She tiredly opened her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. Yes, I'm becoming a sap, but who cares. I silently cursed myself for letting this happen.

"Don…t … bl…ame… y… our…self " she breathed. Her eyes started to droop close again. "Mikan, stay with me!" I cried. She gave me a tired smile, silently telling me she'll try. I took out my cell phone and quickly dialed 911. I heard the person pick up the phone on the other end, but I didn't let them speak. "I need immediate help. My girlfriend is beaten badly and tied to a tree. We are in the middle of the Northern woods at Gakuen High. Get here as fast as you can." I grounded out. I stared straight into Mikan's eyes as I spoke, trying to think on how to keep her awake.

I hung up the phone after the woman on the other end assured me that help is on the way. I dug in my pockets for my keys. When I grabbed them I quickly started to use the army knife I put on the key ring. I started to cut in jerky movements as I worked through the thick ropes. Mikan's breathing was turning shallow by the second. I could hear the sirens in the distance. I noticed that Mikan was fighting to keep her eyes open. "Stay with me." I grounded out through gritted teeth as the rope snapped. Her body fell forward when nothing was holding her up anymore. I caught her before she hit the ground. I heard the leaves crunch behind me as the paramedics came.

A pair of arms came to put her on the gurney they brought with them. I watched as a brown haired woman in paramedic clothes started taking the basics of the vitals. I saw a man with black cropped hair take her pulse. They picked up the gurney and rushed to get to the ambulance. I silently followed them out of the dead forest.

We exited the woods to notice a crowed standing there. The teachers were trying to usher the students back into classes that were forgotten in the minds of the students as people tried to see the next piece of juicy gossip being hauled away. The brown haired girl tapped my shoulder as I heard the back doors close on the ambulance. I noticed that her name tag read Hikari. "Hop in." I silently jumped in the front seat while she went to the driver's side. Everyone cleared away as we started for the hospital.

I felt completely numb as I heard the flurry of words in the back.

"Heart rate low."

"Blood pressure is to low."

"Get an IV in her!"

"Sweetheart, I need you to stay awake and answer a few questions for me."

We pulled up to the hospital as they continued to shout orders to passing nurses. I was led away by another nurse as they closed the doors to the emergency room and the light flickered on. "Please follow me to the waiting room." she said nicely. I numbly followed as she led me to an empty waiting room with TVs in the upper corners. " My name is Nancy. I will inform you on the condition on Ms. Sakura or anything you need to know. You are welcome to go to the food court if you get hungry." she gave me a sympathetic smile as she left to do her duties.

I sat down in a chair feeling as if I was at the bottom of a lake with heavy clothes on. I felt helpless as I sat here while Mikan was fighting for survival in the emergency room. I was absolutely livid at the person who did this. I buried my hands in my hair as I tried to figure out what to do now. I dug into my pocket for my cell phone. For now I need to inform Ruka.

He picked up on the third ring. "Natsume! Where are you? There was an ambulance here a little while ago." he continued his rant at what happened at lunch. My fuse was getting shorter and shorter at each passing second until I finally exploded. "RUKA!" I shouted through the phone when I got tired of hearing his voice. The nurse that passed by me gave me a glare at my out burst. The dull silence laid heavy in the air as he stopped talking. In a deathly quiet voice that people only use in mourning homes I continued, "Ruka, I'm in the hospital. No I'm not hurt. Just get Imai and Persona and get here quickly. I'll explain as best as I can when you get here." I closed my phone before he could say anything. I hung my head as a weary sigh left my lips. I let the silence consume me as my unmasked worry shone through. Only Mikan could bring out these emotions no matter if she was awake and fine or unconscious and struggling for her life. No one made me feel like this, not even my family.

I didn't notice the time passing until the silence was broken by the gentle whooshing the sliding doors made and rushed footsteps made their way over to me. I looked up at the people I now call friends. I noticed Persona was holding Youichi on his hip. He reached out for me to hold him. I gingerly took him from Persona and tucked him under my chin. He snuggled into my warmth, seeking comfort for what I was about to say.

I opened my mouth to say what I wanted to say, but Nancy came back to inform me about something. "Doctor Imai will be here momentarily," she said professionally. Imai looked at me hard, trying to get answers from me. I ignored them as I stood up from the uncomfortable chair. I saw Dr. Imai walking towards us with a clipboard in his hands. He looked at all of us with a tired but emotionless face. His eyes landed on me and I locked our eyes, silently asking the question all of us wanted to know. He sighed as if he was holding up the world alone. He broke eye contact to look down at the chart.

"She has hypothermia, four broken ribs, one of which poked a small hole in her lung and stuck there. She lost about 30% of blood, but we are restoring that as we speak. She also has a mild concussion. No broken bones besides her ribs though some are bruised and until the swelling goes down in her eye I wont be able to tell you if any damage has been done to it though I think there is Subconjunctival hemorrhage in that eye." he took a deep breath as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Besides some mild lacerations on her body, she is going to be fine. You can go see her now. Room 332." he said as he turned to walk away. I quickly walked to the elevator with the others hot on my heels looking worried and a bit confused.

I held Youichi a bit closer to me as the elevator took its time. "W-Whose room are we going to?" Ruka asked nervously. I glanced back at him as the doors dinged. "Mikan's." was all I said before I took off to find her room. I looked back and forth passing nurses, doctors, and patients. 329. 330. 331. Found it. 332. I pulled open the door forgetting the others for now.

My eyes showed my sadness as I took in the sight of her. Mikan laid there on the white hospital bed. She was so pale that she blended in perfectly with the room. The only difference was her brown hair and the multiple bruises that formed patterns on her skin. The cuts were now either scabbed over or stitched up, but still noticeable. Tubes connected her to machines that made noises and gave her body what it needs. I carefully made my way to a chair at her bedside. I held Youichi in my lap with one hand while the other held Mikan's slightly warm one.

Suddenly I felt a cool metal press against my temple. I didn't even flinch as Imai demanded for an explanation. I explained from the bad feeling I had since yesterday all the way up till they got here. I never once looked at them. I felt Youichi's grip become tighter on my shirt. My brows scrunched in confusion on why he was here. "Why did you bring Youichi with you?" I asked as I stared down at the boy in my lap who was staring at Mikan.

Ruka laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, when we were leaving to go get Persona, Youichi showed up demanding to see you. Since we were in a hurry we just brought him along." I nodded in understanding. They all took a seat around her bed. Ruka sat besides me while Persona took a seat by her head. Imai dragged a chair at the foot of Mikan's bed, but grabbed Youichi and left the room. We all sat there in silence as a nurse came in every hour to check how she was doing. Soon Imai came back in with Youichi who was holding a fluffy stuffed panda in his hands. He came over to me and I sat him on my lap. Youichi carefully crawled on Mikan's bed and rested the toy next to her head. He laid down next to her, being careful not to hit any wires or bump her body.

I don't know how long we sat there, but I know we sat there for hours when a nurse came in telling us that only one can stay the night since visiting hours were over. I would not leave and the others knew it. "I want to stay with dad." Youichi stated. He crossed his arms in a defiant way. I picked him up off the bed as he glared at us, daring us to say no to him. I chuckled a bit at his actions. "Youichi, Mama wouldn't want you to worry the nice lady at the orphanage. She would want you to go back and get a good nights sleep. You can come back tomorrow." I said as I handed him off to Persona. He nodded but he didn't look that happy about it. They left as I sat back down next to Mikan.

I took her hand in mind as I laid my head on her hospital bed. "Wake up soon, Mikan." I quietly spoke as night closed in and I fell asleep.

**MPOV**

I woke up incased in an all black area. I stood up, feeling a sticky goo like substance stick to my arms and legs. I looked down noticing a thick black goo attached to my arms and I realized I was standing knee deep in it. I looked around noticing a never ending darkness. I started to walk, hoping there would be something instead of the dark. It was hard to move in the black goo, as it molded to my legs and the tendrils that stuck to my arms and lower body didn't go away. It never released me, but moved with me, almost making me feel as if I was walking in place. As I walked to an unknown destination I started to hear laughter, cruel laughter.

"Oh, my gosh. Did you see what she was wearing? No fashion sense at all." a cruel female voice said behind me. Soon after voices followed that one.

"What is she, emo?"

"While she was changing I saw cuts going up and down her arms. So disgusting."

"Dude, she hardly eats! She is so anorexic!"

"Freak!"

"Loser!"

"Emo!"

"Devil worshiper!"

"Cutter!"

"Ugly!"

"Anorexic freak!"

The insults I have been called over the years kept raining down on me as I started to slow my pace in the tar like goo. Then I heard the icing on the cake.

"I don't even know why Natsume would like someone as plain as her. He can do so much better." that same cruel female voice that started it all repeated something that I never wanted to think about, but it was always in the back of my mind. I stopped in my tracks as I let the words sink in. Natsume can do better. I looked down at the baggy black clothes that I always wear to hide what goes on in my home. My life.

Slowly I started to push the sleeves up my arms, revealing the multi-colored skin on my arms. I focused my attention on my wrist. I started to run my fingers lightly over the thin horizontal scars that decorated the lower parts of my arms. I used to cut, but I stopped now after a severe yelling from Hotaru and Persona. I will never forget what they made me feel that day. The day I felt so remorseful and so much self-hatred towards myself for harming my body like _they_ did.

I wrapped my arms around myself as I listened to the jabs and sneers and remarks from the people that hated me, letting the blackness engulf me in its cold embrace.

"Stay strong."

My head snapped up. I heard him. I heard Natsume!

"Polka dot."

"Ichigo-kara."

"Hn. Strawberries today."

"Why do you have such childish underwear? Get a thong or something."

"Idiot."

"Youichi and I would be sad if you were gone."

"Imai and Persona and Ruka are your friends."

"We'll adopt Youichi."

"I love you, Idiot."

"Mikan."

I started to tear up at the memories that flowed through me at hearing his voice. Suddenly a bright light pierced through the inky blackness. I started running, barely noticing it was now easier to run through the black goo and the tendrils broke away from my body. I just wanted to go to my crimsoned eyed pervert. I threw my arms wide when I saw him standing in the blinding light. A wide smile broke across my face as I yelled.

"NATSUME!"

I opened my eyes to notice a dark room. For a minute I thought I was back in the inky darkness before I heard the beep of a heart monitor. I relaxed into the stiff hospital bed. I looked down at myself to see I was in a hospital gown with an IV in my left arm which also gave me blood. I felt a heavy weight on my hand. I turned my head and what I saw made me smile.

Natsume had his head on the side of the bed, his sleeping face turn toward me and his hand was lightly holding mine. I smiled as I interlocked our fingers together. He let out a little groan as he felt the movement of my hand. He was slowly waking up and he blinked away the remaining sleep as he looked at me. He just stared into my eyes as I stared into his. "Your awake." he simply stated. I nodded my head. He let out a yawn as he stood up.

"Scoot over." he ordered. I was confused, but did as he said and started to scoot away from him. He climbed on the bed and lifted the covers over his body. He gently wrapped his arms around my body, being mindful of the wires connecting me and laid his head on top of mine. "Go back to sleep Polka." Natsume mumbled as I noticed his breathing become slow. I sighed. What a wonderful way to greet your girlfriend when she wakes up. I snuggled closer to his body, feeling the warmth it was giving off. I wrapped my arms around his waist and closed my eyes. Soon I was drifting off again.

When I woke again I was in the bright hospital room with Natsume's head on my chest. I blushed a bit as I noticed he was curled around my body. His legs held my lower half in between his legs with one of his legs in between mine. One of his arms were curled around my stomach possessively while the other was under my shoulders. I noticed my right arm was wrapped around his shoulders while my left hand was buried in his silky black hair. I was clutching him to me just as much as he was clutching me to him.

The door opened, making me jump a bit. A nurse walked and looked shocked. I wasn't sure if she was shocked to see me awake or the position I was in at the moment or both. I smiled at her as she recovered from her shock. "Shh. He is still sleeping." I whispered to her. She nodded and quickly did what she came here to do. "I will tell Dr. Imai that you are up. We will also notify your family and friends too." she said then left. I grimaced as she mentioned family. I was scared to see their reaction to what happened to me.

As if sensing my fear, Natsume's grip tightened and he snuggled more into my chest. I smiled at the peaceful look on his face. I laid there listening to the clock tick and running my fingers through Natsume's hair as I tried to figure out what to do. I know that I will get a beating as soon as I am let go. I know that I can't keep Kokari and Daisuke out of my room. I know they will find out that I have friends and a boyfriend. And I'm scared about what they will do to them once they find out.

I heard the door open again and saw Subaru walk into my room. "I see the swelling has gone down from around your eye. Looks like some blood vessels popped in your eye, but don't worry that will drain out." he went down to the chart hanging off the end of my bed. "Your vitals look fine. How are you feeling?" he asked as he stared at me. I thought about how my body felt at the moment. "I feel fine, but I am a little sore." he started to write things down on his clip board. Then he looked up at me. "The morphine is working and the soreness is probably a mix of not eating for a while and not moving for a while either. I will have a nurse bring you food. I already took care of your parents. They wont be able to come into your room for a week. That is when you will be discharged from the hospital unless you get worse." he stated. I nodded my head in thanks as he left the room for his other patients.

Natsume started to stir on top of me. He moved his head to look at me. "Morning Polka." he mumbled. I shook my head at him. "Are you going to let go of me?" I asked. "Nope." he stated as he buried his head into my neck. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Why?" I questioned him. He just gave me that look that said it-is-very-obvious-stupid, but answered anyway. "I'm comfortable here." I just shook my head as I grabbed the remote to the bed. I raised my self so I was leaning back in an upright position. Natsume grumbled at the new position and glared at me. I just looked back at him calmly. "My bed, my rules. If you don't like it then get off." he looked away from me, but stayed where he was. Soon Natsume moved so he was now behind me and I was in between his legs.

He grabbed the TV remote and flipped through the channels. He stopped on a rerun of The Bachelor. "No… Change the channel or something. I don't like these kinds of shows." I whined. I hated these types of shows. Yes they are entertaining and all, but I just don't like them. He raised his eyebrow at me, questioning on why I don't like this show. I crossed my arms and huffed. "I don't like these kinds of shows because I hate how there is one guy and a bunch of girls. I feel sorry for the large group, not the person who is trying to find their partner in life." he that motion that he wanted to hear more. I looked away from the TV as the show played on.

"I feel sorry for those girls because the guy they like is complementing not only them, but other girls as well. They are putting their heart on the line and most, if not all, will be crushed one way or another on that show. I think it is cruel to the girls that get told that he likes them a lot and then they will be sent home the next day because he found a better quality in another one. I just don't think it is fair to them." He seemed to take in my explanation, before changing the channel to a movie channel. I rolled my eyes as Fast and Furious played, but agreed to watched. I snuggled into his chest as his arms wrapped around my waist.

The door slammed open and Hotaru walked in with Ruka, Youichi, and Persona behind her. She looked livid as she saw me on the bed. "Don't you ever scare me like that again or I will personally shoot you so much that you wish you were dead." she said softly. It scared me more than when she yelled. Persona looked at all of us, his brown eyes slightly harden when his eyes landed on me.

"Can I talk to Mikan alone?" Persona asked. Hotaru narrowed her eyes as she looked him up and down. Finally she grabbed Youichi and Ruka and left the room. Natsume glared at Persona as he held me closer to him. I rested my arms on his and gave them a squeeze. I looked up at him. "Its fine. He wont hurt me. He is my friend." He looked down at me and sighed. He climbed off the bed, being careful of the wires that connected me to the machines. Persona sat down when the door clicked shut.

Persona gently grabbed my hand. He started to play with my fingers, looking torn on what to do. I placed my other hand on top of his. "Hey whatever it is, you can say to me." I smiled at him. He looked up at me and let out a heavy sigh. "I haven't been honest with you for the year and a half that I've known you." he started. I nodded for him to continue. "I lied about my name and were I'm from. I lied about my age and who my parents are and my whole life. I lied to you about who I am." he stated. He looked into my eyes, eyes that were similar to his. "Start." I whispered. "Start from the beginning." I choked out. I was becoming scared. Who was he? I started to question everything. Everything about him. The things we shared together and with Hotaru. Was it him or was it someone else or was it all an act? He took a deep breathe.

"I'll start with my name. My name is Rei Sakura. Your brother."

* * *

**Hey guys! Thanks for being paitent with me. I wanted to try a Q&A type of thing. If you get the answer right I will answer anything you want even if it is about future chapters, though I wont tell you when i will update. That is whenever I feel like it. If you get it wrong I will still answer any questions you have, but none of the future ones and if i feel like answering them.**

**Here is the question:** **A woman has five children and half of them are male. ****Is this possible? Explain.**


	10. Truths that lead to Heartbreak part 1

**Chapter 10: Truths that lead to Heartbreak part 1**

The air hung heavy with the confession he made. I sat on the bed staring at him in disbelief. He refused to meet my eyes in any way possible. Things started popping out at me the more that I stared at him. The same eyes as mine. The same complexion as mine. Some of our actions are the same too. I finally saw the boy in my memories that had no face, but had a name, come at me in full force. I suddenly felt anger. Anger towards this man I called my friend. Anger at him because I confided in him with secrets that should never be heard. Anger towards this man who now calls himself my brother. I took a deep breath and said, "Please explain to me everything from the beginning."

He nodded his head and began his tale. "I went to Uncle's house when mother and father died. Everyone was saying that you died in the fire, though there were no remains to prove it. I became angry at the people telling me my sister had died when there was no proof. I would yell at the people in the house whispering about the poor young master who lost all of his family. They tried to arrange a funeral for you and I finally snap. I yelled and screamed telling them you weren't dead. I could still fell you somewhere, I just didn't know where. When no one believed me I became depressed. Uncle started to take me to therapy, but gave up after I didn't leave my room for it. I got held back because I took a year off from school to mourn my family that I lost. When I heard about a girl named Mikan at our school I was in denial, but when I walked out those back doors and saw a girl with brown hair and hazel eyes that look exactly like mine, I knew you were my little sister. I was shocked at the fact that I found you, but I was even more shocked that you were being abused.

"I told Uncle when I got home. At first he didn't believe me, but then I started bring home the pictures we would take together. Uncle was still in denial, but eventually he realized that you were the real Mikan. I told him your situation and he got furious that the people we treated as best friends would do that to you. He wanted to help you immediately, but then he stopped. He started doing research, digging things up about them. Uncle wanted to get so much dirt on them that would get them the Death penalty. He made me swear not to tell you who I was until the right time."

I looked down at the white sheets covering my legs. I clenched my fists in anger. I didn't know what I was angry at. I just felt so much anger. Maybe anger that Persona and Uncle didn't want me to know that they were there? Maybe anger at the people who took me and made my life horrible? Or maybe anger at myself for not noticing that this was my brother, my own flesh and blood. We sat in the silence, letting it suffocate the room. I heard him take a deep breath, like he was trying to admit a crime that no one knew about.

"I wanted to tell you so bad. It was hard watching you come to school with baggy clothes on and me knowing you were trying to hide what was under there. With hallowed out cheeks, arms to skinning that they could break if you squeezed to hard, and ribs that pressed against your skin, sometimes they poked out at weird angles too. Seeing you with dark circles under your eyes, that looked so dead. Make-up that was as thick as those stupid cheerleaders who insulted you to no end. I wanted-" I shook my head, making him stop in his rant.

I felt a liquid warmth go down my cheeks. Tears of so many emotions cascaded down in a never ending flow. The tears of confusion, happiness, anger, and so many more emotions made their trek down my face to land in my lap where my hands were folded and clenched tightly together.

I kept my head down as I spoke. "When they first captured me, I was terrified. I wanted my mother and father and nothing more. I wanted it all to be a dream about those bad people who would take us because they held something against our parents. I believed that they were alive and well and they were coming to save me from the evil people who were hurting me. As time went by, I slowly realized that they weren't coming to get me and they were really dead. I would cry endlessly on the realization of my parent's death. I remembered I had an older brother, named Rei. I found new hope that my big brother would save me." I took a deep breath then continued.

"I would wait for him. Praying day after day that he would show up, proclaiming to save me and sending those bad people to jail. I lost all hope after three years of waiting for him. And now you come when I'm nearly killed by fan girls and telling me you have been by my side for a year and a half." I shook my head. I never lifted my head to see his face nor did I want to. I refused to see the face of my brother in the body of a man I no longer recognize.

"Get out." My voice was steady as I said those two words. I heard him suck in a breath, ready to protest. "Just leave me alone for a little while." I pleaded with him. I heard him sigh and the chair scrapped in protest against the white floors. I felt him put his hand on the back of my head as he leaned down and gave a kiss on the top of my head.

I heard the silent clop of his feet as he walked across the tiled floor and opened the door. "I'll always be here for you, Mikan." He said. He closed the door with a silent click.

My body protested when I flopped against the bed. It felt lumpy and uncomfortable under my sore body. The tears finally stopped as I stared up at the tiled ceiling. My eyes followed the boxed patterns as the cream boarders made tracks around the white squares. I felt something soft and squishy that wasn't part of the bed under my back. I sat up a little and reached my hand underneath me. I grasped something soft and squish and pulled it out so I could see it.

In my hands was a bear with black ears and black rims around its eyes and nose. It also had black arms, legs, and a tail while the rest of the body was white. It was a panda with stringy fur that caught a bit of light, making it look silky. I noticed a little brown tag on its' ear. I opened the tag to see a child's hand writing saying 'Get Well Soon Mama, Love Youichi.'

I smiled at the present before cuddling it to my chest. I may be 16, but I am proud to call Youichi my son. I turned on my right side, thanking the heavens that I only have broken ribs on the left side. I'm also glad that my left leg is almost healed. I closed my eyes hoping that sleep would come to me soon. Before I fell asleep I felt the bed dip down and a hand brushing back my hair.

A week went by and Subaru said I was able to leave at the end of the week. My leg was practically healed. My ribs still hurt, but he said they would be just fine in three months. The bruises are now healing and the swelling in my face went away. Natsume stood waiting for me by the doors and he drove me home from the hospital.

I snuck in the house hoping they were not home yet from work. I saw a note by the door stating that they were away on a business trip for three or more months. The one good thing about having them as an 'adopted family' is that they are almost always away on a business trip of some kind.

I smiled in relief. Now I would be able to heal properly. Plus I would be able to go to the Christmas dance that was coming up.

The weeks flew by as Christmas was approaching. The house that I lived in intimated me every time I had to go home to it. It would feel so dark and haunting to me even if I had the lights on. That was why I usually slept over at one of my friend's house. Persona and I had patched up our relationship and he even took me to see uncle a few times. I also became friends with Anna and Nonoko over the weeks in December. We all went shopping for a dress for the Christmas ball.

Tomorrow is the Christmas ball. I couldn't believe how fast it came. I could hardly believe anything anymore. It felt like yesterday that I was walking away from school dreading going to the house that I live in. Now I have a wonderful boyfriend, a cute adoptive son, best friends and my brother and uncle. I felt like I was on cloud nine.

I was now sitting with Natsume under the Sakura tree. I felt content as I snuggled deeper in his side. His arm was wrapped around my shoulder, slightly playing with my hair. He seemed lost in thought lately and it was starting to worry me. Natsume is a quiet person, but I could get him to talk to me for a while, but now he seemed dazed when he answered in his short reply.

"Natsume?" I asked. He grunted. "What's on your mind?"

His hand stopped playing with my hair momentarily before it resumed to what it was doing. "Nothing," he replied with vagueness. I looked up at him and saw his head turned away from me with a far off look. I bit my tongue to stop from questioning him. Tomorrow I would ask him more about it.

**Please read and review. It helps me with new ideas and gives me cofindent boosts!**


	11. IMPORTANT

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

**THIS STORY IS UNDER REVISION DUE TO MY DISLIKE OF HOW IT IS WRITEN**

**I thank all my readers who have stuck by me and I am asking a big favor by asking if you will continue to wait for this story to be re-uploaded and fitted to my own preference.**

**I know a lot of people have read this story and I know very little of them have written a review/favorite/followed. I ask very little and I hope you can boast my inspiration by reviewing and letting me know where I can improve, what you want to see in the story, and anything else you have on you mind. **

**You can also requests for stories if you really want to and I'll let you know if I will publish your stories.**


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